Poland's Democracy Paradox: When Liberals Use Illiberal Tactics

With 74% voter turnout, Poland kicked out its authoritarian government in 2023. But three years after that victory celebration, the reality they face is far more complex than anyone anticipated.

The Night They Won, and What Came After

24-year-old Polish activist Dominika Lasota vividly remembers sitting with friends on a couch, staring at the TV as election results rolled in. "We were either going to drink a lot of hard alcohol later for the bad reasons, or we're going to run to the streets for the good reasons," she recalled. That night, they ran to the streets.

After eight years of democratic backsliding, Poland had ousted the Law and Justice Party and voted in a coalition of center-left, far-left, and agrarian parties. The authoritarian-leaning conservatives who had curtailed women's rights and undermined democratic institutions were finally gone.

But Lasota's candid assessment reveals the complexity that followed: "We were absolutely clueless."

How Authoritarianism Took Root

Poland's democratic decline began with a 2010 plane crash near Smolensk, Russia, that killed the Polish president and other top leaders. Conspiracy theories swirled around the tragedy, and Jarosław Kaczyński — the president's twin brother — embraced them fully.

Kaczyński alleged that the ruling liberal party was complicit in his brother's death, riding a wave of populist, conspiratorial, and anti-elite messaging to victory in 2015. Once in power, Law and Justice packed the country's highest courts with partisan judges, raided women's groups' offices, sued independent media outlets, and transformed state television into a propaganda machine.

The breaking point came in 2020 when the party used the courts to implement a near-total abortion ban after failing to pass it through the legislature. Tens of thousands took to the streets — including Lasota — laying the groundwork for the 2023 electoral victory.

The Catch-22 of Democratic Restoration

But victory brought an uncomfortable reality. As political scientist Ben Stanley explained, it's nearly impossible to unwind authoritarian damage "quickly, effectively, and legally." You can follow the law and respect democratic norms, but that's slow. Alternatively, you can act quickly, but that shows the same undemocratic impulses you came to power fighting against.

In December 2023, Poland's liberal government abruptly fired state media staff and temporarily pulled a news channel off-air to wrest back control — moves that drew international criticism for their heavy-handed nature.

The bigger challenge? The liberal coalition has struggled to articulate a political vision beyond opposing Law and Justice. The strict abortion ban that first sent protesters to the streets six years ago remains in place. Last summer, populist Karol Nawrocki narrowly defeated liberal Rafał Trzaskowski for the presidency.

The Populist Advantage

Trzaskowski's reflection on the loss is telling: "Somehow the people who vote for populists do not have that many qualms. They do not ask themselves so many questions...whereas our side is always prevaricating, asking questions."

This captures a fundamental asymmetry in democratic politics. Populist movements often benefit from moral certainty and simple narratives, while liberal coalitions get bogged down in procedural concerns and nuanced positions. It's the classic trade-off between democratic deliberation and decisive action.

For Americans watching their own democratic struggles, Poland offers both hope and caution. Yes, would-be authoritarians can be voted out. Democratic backsliding isn't irreversible. But the restoration process is messy, contradictory, and far from guaranteed.

The Unfinished Business of Democracy

Poland's experience reveals that defeating authoritarianism and building democratic alternatives are entirely different challenges. The former requires unity against a common enemy; the latter demands consensus around a positive vision — something much harder to achieve.

The coalition's struggles also highlight how democratic institutions, once damaged, don't simply snap back into place. Trust takes time to rebuild. Norms need to be re-established. And in the meantime, citizens grow impatient with the slow pace of change.