The Ambivalence of Polish Populism

Professor Ben Stanley discusses the evolution of the populist movement and affiliated parties in Poland in the 2000s and 2010s. He argues that while its rhetoric and economic policies have empowered social groups that felt excluded from post-1989 reforms, the nativist cultural policies and the politicization of the institutional infrastructure by the Law and Justice party have also militated against the pluralist understanding of politics in the country. Speaker: Ben Stanley, PhD is an Associate Professor at the Centre for the Study of Democracy, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw and Visiting Fellow at the University of Sussex.

Om Podcasten

Over the past decade, a number of European populist parties have become increasingly competitive in key votes, and in Eastern Europe, these parties have not only come to power but also remained in office in consecutive elections. In this interview series, we will interrogate some of the main drivers and impacts of populist mobilization in Eastern Europe. The "Rise and Resilience of Populism in Eastern Europe" series is hosted by Dr. Tsveta Petrova and the European Institute at Columbia University. It is made possible with the support of the Erasmus + Programme of the European Union. The views expressed in this series are those of the speaker(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Institute or the EU Commission.