New Books Network Stanley Bill and Ben Stanley, "Good Change: The Rise and Fall of Poland's Illiberal Revolution" (Stanford UP, 2025)
Sep 8, 2025
Stanley Bill, a Professor of Polish Studies at the University of Cambridge, and Ben Stanley, an Associate Professor at SWPS University in Warsaw, delve into the complexities of Poland's recent political evolution. They analyze Jarosław Kaczyński's Law and Justice Party's attempts at combining diverse political ideologies while dismantling democratic norms. The discussion also covers the challenges Donald Tusk's liberal government faces unpicking illiberal policies without alienating voters, and how Poland's unique political context shapes its future.
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Poland's Surprising Democratic Backsliding
- Poland's turn away from liberal norms shocked observers because it had been seen as a post-1989 model pupil of transition.
- Its size and EU role made the shift geopolitically significant and newsworthy.
Poland Copied Hungary Without The Same Power
- Viktor Orban had a more consolidated power and became an exportable model for illiberalism, unlike Poland's Law and Justice.
- PiS borrowed aspects of Hungary's model but lacked the same constitutional dominance and thus used ad hoc methods.
Less Grift, More Party-Building
- Poland avoided the scale of familial self-enrichment seen in Hungary, though graft and clientelism occurred.
- Kaczyński prioritized building a political machine over personal wealth extraction.
