The alteration of the democratic system in Central Europe has sparked multiple studies. From the first “surprising” electoral outcomes, two lines of thought have emerged. The first focused on the populist discourse and style of leaders and their parties as tools for seizing power. This perspective emphasized the core of these speeches, pitting elites against the masses: elites were systematically stigmatized while the masses, characterized as “the sovereign people,” were valorized. A second line of thought examined the structural attacks on the institutions of the democratic system, looking at how the shift towards an authoritarian regime was accompanied by maintaining a democratic facade.
Authoritarian power in Central Europe: a genesis
According to Polish-American sociologist Adam Przeworski, it is the unfulfilled promises of successive teams in liberal democracies that have destroyed faith in democratic solutions, generating a sort of social “rage,” ready to engage in supposed miracle solutions. “People abandoned by the left turned to populists, who positioned themselves as defenders of their interests, combining critiques of elites and the pitfalls of capitalist globalization, rejection of minorities, misogyny, and homophobia, while the neoliberal ruling class fueled economic frustration.” Research on medium-sized cities by Maciej Gdula aimed to understand the support for autocratic solutions and leaders, showing that the stereotype linking revolt to low education levels or specific social classes was incorrect. The populist narrative actually capitalized on shared grievances among those left behind by liberal transformation.
PLAN – Authoritarian power in Central Europe: a genesis – The centrality of the authoritarian leader – Foreign policy blunders – Scandals with no impact on PiS voters – The comprehensive autocratic project – The judicial system – Elections – Media – Women’s rights – Changes in administration – Blind spot in reflections on “post-Soviet” authoritarianism: their possible decline – The waning influence of the Church – Reactions from society
Georges Mink, holder of the Chair of European Civilization dedicated to the memory of Professor Bronislaw Geremek at the College of Europe, Natolin campus, is a research director emeritus at the Institute of Social Sciences of Politics (ISP-CNRS). He notably published “La Pologne au coeur de l’Europe. De 1914 à nos jours” (Paris, Buchet Chastel, 2015).
