Banana Peels in a Minefield
On the Reconstruction of the Rule of Law in Poland
Marta Bucholc, Maciej Komornik
Deutsche Fassung
Abstract
During its term in power from 2015 to 2023, the PiS broke with the principles of liberal democracy and the separation of powers and distorted the rule of law in Poland. Restoring the rule of law was the most important goal of the current government under Donald Tusk. Its record is sobering. The PiS has left behind a minefield that is almost impossible to defuse. The illiberal order is proving more resilient than expected. After the 2025 presidential elections, in which PiS candidate Karol Nawrocki emerged as the winner, the situation will not become any easier. Poland offers a lesson for Europe that shows how difficult it is to overcome the legal, institutional, and normative devastation of illiberal rule.
(Osteuropa 6-7/2025, pp. 65–80)