A year of lost illusions. Poland after elections and drift to the right

In a summarizing discussion of 2025, a grim image of Polish politics is emerging, which threatens to further erosion of democracy. It was a time of wasted opportunities and increasing social frustration.

In the long and moments of acute conversation Wojtko Krzyżaniak and Piotr Szumlewicz diagnose the problems of the state and democratic opposition. Their joint proposal is unequivocal:

The central point of the discussion is the presidential election that Karol Nawrocki won. According to both interviewors, this was a failure not only of a peculiar candidate, but of the full strategy of a liberal-democratic camp. Rafał Trzaskowski's run was assessed as cyclical, conservative and lacking a clear vision. – alternatively of mobilizing progressive voters, they tried to delight the right – notes Szumlewicz, pointing to fluctuations in women's rights, partnerships or wellness education.

At the same time, the interviewers do not hide regret about any of the left-wing and liberal electorate, which in the second circular did not go to vote. Although they both declare knowing of the disheartening of voters, they stress that in clashing with a candidate representing an highly conservative and anti-working agenda, electoral abstinence brought real political consequences.

Nawrocki's win – in their opinion – accelerated the turn of the full political scene to the right. Donald Tusk, described as the “sondary” Prime Minister, is expected to respond more to the temper present than to values. An example is the government's distance from ambitious climate policies or an increasingly skeptical speech towards the European Union. – It is simply a paradox: the benefits of the EU are expanding and public support for it is decreasing – Shumlewicz alarms, recalling data about the rapidly increasing anti-EU front.

The conversation besides affects the condition of the media and the quality of public debate. The year 2025 the interviewers consider the unprecedented offensive of misinformation – both from Russian troll farms and from native politicians and publicists. The deficiency of reliable fact-checking during the electoral campaign, the normalization of utmost language and the failure of social shame towards fascism attitudes are considered to be any of the most dangerous phenomena of fresh years.

The success of characters specified as Grzegorz Braun is peculiarly worrying in their opinion. Not only due to the views voiced, but above all due to social consent to open aggression, anti-Semitism and contempt for human rights. That's no longer a margin. It's a real force that changes the language and limits of the debate," emphasises Teutonic Knight.

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The criticism is besides submitted to the Left, which, despite a decent consequence in the presidential election, according to Szumlewicz, lost its clarity and allows a stronger coalition to be "eat". The marginalisation of labour and worldview demands and the deficiency of real legitimacy in government are symbolic.

Despite dominant pessimism, conversation does not end with complete resignation. Both callers stress that The only way out of this crisis is to reconstruct courage on the progressive side: clear formulation of demands, defence of human rights without “but” and real work at the base – in trade unions, social organisations and local governments.

The year 2025 so appears to be a turning point: either it will become the beginning of a further drift towards authoritarianism and political mediocrity, or, if learned, a painful lesson, after which democracy will regain its ability to defend itself.