Michal Kukawski is a journalist with 20 years of experience. He worked for many years in Polish Public Radio as a reporter, he was a war correspondent in Iraq. 10 years ago he focused on writing, he became the head of the foreign affairs department in the Twój Styl magazine and the editor-in-chief of the Malemen magazine. This year he created his own award-winning podcast called Odpowiednik.
The Polish conservatives are heading for a second defeat in 6 months, this time in local elections. Meanwhile, as pro-Europeans are trying to reset the system, the pro-Russians are increasingly vocal.
After years of conservative rule, most Poles voted for the opposition parties. The conservatives are nonetheless poised to remain influent through the public institutions they control.
Poland’s liberal opposition hopes to break the ruling PiS’ long spell in power at the October 15 elections. The conservatives are betting on harshening their tone towards Ukraine, and the EU.
From cyberattacks to railway disruptions, Poland faced during the past several months a wave of incidents, many of them having the hallmarks of Russian intelligence.
One book and a documentary film claiming that Pope John Paul II knew about and covered sexual abuses against children lead to a huge scandal in his native Poland, where the former Pontiff is revered. Conservatives and the far-right scrambled to "defend the good name" of John Paul II and seem poised to use the scandal to their advantage in the upcoming elections.
Poland positioned itself as one of Ukraine’s main supporters: it allowed its territory to be used for arms deliveries while becoming a major arms supplier in its own right and convinced its NATO allies to support Ukraine even more. In parallel, Warsaw is engaged in a process of strengthening its own army. All this shows that Poland is turning into a key actor for the European security, an actor that is, however, increasingly exposed to the theses of Russian propaganda.
As Russia launched a massive attack on Ukraine in early 2022, millions of civilians fled the country and went West, out of harm’s way. Many chose to stay in Poland. They received some help from the state, but they mostly benefited from a network of volunteers providing everything from daily necessities to accommodation and jobs. Eleven months on, as some Poles are getting increasingly weary of refugees, the latter are still trying to adapt while dealing with the war traumas.
On a brisk January morning in Strasbourg, Donald Tusk, the Prime Minister of Poland, stood before the European Parliament to deliver what many have already labeled a defining speech of his career. With his characteristic blend of gravitas and urgency, Tusk addressed Europe’s place in an increasingly volatile world. Referring to the profound shifts in transatlantic relations under Donald Trump’s presidency, Donald Tusk paraphrased another US President, John F. Kennedy: “Ask not what America can do for Europe and its security—ask what we can do for it”. His words reverberated across the chamber, signaling the dawn of a (let’s hope) pivotal six months in European politics: Poland’s presidency of the Council of the European Union.
In 2025, presidential elections will be held in Poland. People are already saying that we need to take seriously the scenario in which Russia influences the outcome – as it happened in Romania.
Against the background of the war in Ukraine, Russia is stepping up hybrid attacks against NATO countries. Being at the forefront of Russia’s campaign, Poland has been facing an increasing number of sabotages.
Many of the changes promised by Poland’s pro-EU reformists are still to be seen. Insted, prime-minister Donald Tusk has started to talk in terms that remind of the conservatives his coalition defeated.
Law and Justice (PiS) is getting into more and more trouble – the party is shaken by scandals connected to its eight-year rule, financial problems, and increasingly strong internal conflicts.
A little girl accredited as a journalist in Poland's parliament has sparked debates about the limits of freedom of expression, the involvement of children in politics and their manipulation by adults, including their own parents.