Lawfare Archive: Radek Sikorski on the Week's Events in Poland
Oct 21, 2023
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Former foreign and defense minister of Poland, Radek Sikorski, joins Benjamin Wittes to discuss the recent events in Poland's democracy, including the removal of judges from the Supreme Court and the protests against the deconsolidation of Polish governance. The podcast also explores the impact of the atmosphere in Poland on ordinary people and opposition politicians, the emotional reaction to the degradation of governance and society, and the ongoing issues with Poland's judiciary and rule of law.
The recent election in Poland reflects a desire among voters to restore democratic standards and address concerns about the degradation of Polish governance.
The removal of judges from the Supreme Court is part of a larger pattern of eroding judicial independence in Poland, raising questions about the stability of democracy in the region.
Deep dives
Polish citizens vote to oust incumbent law and justice party
In a recent election, Polish citizens voted to remove the incumbent law and justice party from power. Although the far-right confederation party, a potential coalition partner, only received around 7% of the votes, three opposition parties led by Donald Tusk's civic coalition party secured over 54% of the votes combined, positioning themselves to take power. The election outcome reflects a desire among voters to restore democratic standards and address concerns about the degradation of Polish governance.
Polish government removes judges from Supreme Court
The Polish government has come under scrutiny for removing several judges from the country's Supreme Court and replacing them with party loyalists. This move has raised concerns about the degradation of democratic governance in Poland. The government argues that retired judges cannot serve as the chairman of the Supreme Court, despite it contradicting a specific article of the constitution. Critics see this action as a political purge, as it targets judges who had some affiliation with the communist regime.
Protests and erosion of judicial independence in Poland
The removal of judges from the Supreme Court is not an isolated incident but rather part of a larger pattern of eroding judicial independence in Poland. The ruling Law and Justice party has previously targeted the constitutional court, packing it with party loyalists and depriving it of judicial review of legislation. The assault on the Supreme Court is seen as the culmination of these efforts. The reaction to this erosion has sparked significant street protests, demonstrating the growing concern among the Polish population. The situation in Poland is often compared to Hungary, where similar trends have been observed, leading to questions about the stability of democracy in the region.
From July 7, 2018: It's been a bad week for Polish democracy, with the government removing a bunch of judges from the country's Supreme Court in order to replace them with party loyalists. In response, protestors took to the streets to push back against the deconsolidation of Polish democracy. Radek Sikorski joined Benjamin Wittes to discuss the week's events and the larger degradation of Polish governance of which they are a part. Radek served as foreign minister and defense minister of Poland, as well as speaker of the Polish parliament. He has also been a visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, and he's currently a senior fellow at the Center of European Studies at Harvard University and distinguished statesman at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.