In a significant political shift, Poland’s Law and Justice Party, or PiS, was ousted from power in the country’s parliamentary elections last October. During its eight years in government, the nationalist conservative party had undermined the rule of law, restricted women’s reproductive rights and exerted control over state media, all of which combined to erode Poland’s democratic foundations.
Poland’s standing on the world stage also diminished under PiS due to its close relationship with former U.S. President Donald Trump; its propensity to pick quarrels with the European Union and other key European allies, particularly Germany; and a shift toward a confrontational approach to neighboring Ukraine—including a suspension of military support for Kyiv—in the lead-up to the election.
The vote in October indicated that the task of governing the country should fall to the Civic Coalition, led by former Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who had also served as president of the European Council before returning to Poland to lead the opposition into the elections. Speaking moments after the exit polls pointing to the opposition’s victory were announced, Tusk heralded the end of “evil times.”