Poland - 67.77
52
A rapid erosion of democracy into oligarchy
Poland is a nation in crisis. The incumbent Law and Justice (PiS) has been rapidly consolidating power over the federal government, expanding both the authority of the executive and the privileges of the incumbent. Poland faces an unprecedented migrant crisis as migrants flooded Poland’s land border with Belarus, overwhelming Poland’s processing facilities. Poland is also at a cultural crossroads. Right-wing nationalist factions have been pushing a number of reforms in the wrong direction, drawing ire both at home and abroad. Moves to ban homosexuals from adopting and place strict regulations on abortion have been controversial both among voters and fellow EU member states. Additionally, Poland is one of the least free countries in the European Union, maintaining strict hate speech laws and criminalizing insulting the president on social media. Additionally, Poland suffers from high corruption, albeit not on the same level as in some other EU countries. Critically, the main difference between Poland and its Baltic neighbors is that the country plays host to a large right-wing nationalist faction that has more in common with the communist dictators of old than they would like to admit.
Human Rights - 77
Poland has fully abolished the death penalty. Polish law does not specifically define or outlaw torture. As a result, abuse of power by police officers is higher than in other countries. Poland admitted in 2014 that it played host to CIA Blacksites, and is accused of torturing American prisoners on behalf of the CIA. In more recent years, several allegations of torture have been reported and most were investigated. Polish prisons lack adequate access to medical staff, resulting in prison infirmaries often being understaffed. Impunity for judges has been very high since the government passed measures making it more difficult to prosecute judges in the name of efficiency. Polish property restitution has been the slowest in Europe, and many World War II-era claims remain unresolved. Opposition candidates regularly complain of government surveillance and Pegasus Spyware was used to spy on a minimum of one politician. Trans Poles cannot change their legal gender even after sex reassignment surgery and cannot serve openly in the military. Poland guarantees limited same-sex cohabitation rights but not gay marriage. Homosexuals were prohibited from adopting altogether in 2021. Abortion is legal to preserve the physical health of the woman as well as in cases of rape and incest. Parental authorization is required when applicable.
Democracy - 72
The president is directly elected and the prime minister is appointed by the president and approved by parliament. The prime minister acts much like a running mate and a vote for the president is functionally a vote for the prime minister. The most recent Polish election was delayed for a month without due process, but the delayed election was nonetheless competitive and the result reflected the will of the people. The lower house of parliament is chosen through proportional representation while the upper house is directly elected. The lower house holds most legislative authority. Reforms passed since 2017 have granted the incumbent increasing control over the National Electoral Commission (PKW). The executive branch now exercises significant control over the Supreme Court, and the Constitutional Tribunal (TK) has been packed with judges appointed by the PiS. These factors combined have allowed a PiS-controlled political machine to loosen campaign finance laws and exert increasing control over state media. Poland is under a de facto two-party system, with politics dominated by the PiS and the opposition Civic Platform (PO). Opposition candidates regularly complain of surveillance by the government, and Pegasus Spyware was used to spy on a minimum of one politician. LGBT Poles are disenfranchised.
Freedom - 64
Poland has relatively strict hate speech laws. “Offending religious feelings” is punishable by hefty fines and up to two years in prison. Support of Nazism or fascist ideologies is classed as hate speech and carries a prison sentence of up to two years. Holocaust denial is prohibited. The musical acts Doda and Behemoth have been fined for offending religious feelings for calling the Bible fictitious and tearing up a Bible on stage, respectively. Insulting the president on social media is a criminal offense. Writer Jacob Żulcyzk faces such charges, carrying a sentence of up to three years in prison. The PiS has functionally transformed state media into a mouthpiece. Telewizja Polska (TVP) is effectively a propaganda machine. The government has used oligarchs friendly with the state to purchase critical news outlets. The German-owned Polska Press was recently purchased by PKN Orlen, who changed coverage and laid off dozens of employees. The “Repolonization” program has seen the government suppress foreign-owned media critical of the government, or purchase it out in the case of Polska Press. The government has been working to suppress the distribution of American-owned TVN with laws restricting the publishing of foreign-owned media. Libel laws are regularly used to silence journalists, as 200+ lawsuits have been filed against opposition journalists by politicians and government-affiliated agencies since 2015. Opposition candidates regularly complain of government surveillance and Pegasus Spyware has been used to spy on a minimum of one opposition politician. The government has all but cut off state advertising revenues to critical news outlets. Poland has no official religion but preferential treatment has been granted to the Catholic Church. Education of LGBT issues is strictly regulated and extremely difficult. Pride parades are often suppressed or not given the same police protection as other demonstrations. Judges and prosecutors have wide discretion to dismiss charges of owning small amounts of drugs and they often do, especially for first-time offenders or addicts in recovery. Poland shall issue gun ownership licenses for semi-automatic rifles and handguns. Proof of threat to life is required for self-defense permits, and they are consequently rarely issued. Fully-automatic rifles are legal under certain contexts but are very difficult to obtain.
Economy - 85
Health - 91
Poland has a life expectancy of 78 years and an infant mortality rate of 0.38%. 23.1% of Poles are obese and 2.5% are malnourished. Poland’s universal healthcare system, while weak by European Union Standards, remains strong by international standards and provides high-quality care to all Polish and EU citizens. 99% of Poles have access to clean, running water. 30% of adult Poles smoke regularly and almost 20% of Poles ages 13-18 smoke regularly.
Corruption - 36
The Polish judicial system is highly subject to political pressure. Judicial appointments are based around political allegiances and patronage networks and lawsuit verdicts are sometimes subject to bribery. Police bribery is not uncommon, but police extortion is rare. Public services usually must be bribed into action. Permits and deeds are near impossible to obtain without corruption. Public contracts are near impossible to obtain without corruption.
Competency - 44
Poland is experiencing a major border crisis. Lukashenko’s Belarus ran a major propaganda campaign in several Middle Eastern and North African countries urging migrants to enter the EU via Belarus. Migrants congregated on the BY-PO border and were often ushered through in waves by Belarusian authorities. Poland failed to respond to the influx of migrants, failing to house them or expel them. The government is failing to control corruption and manage property restitution.
Future - 24
The PiS has exerted increasing top-down control over the government. This same PiS political machine has worked hard to suppress dissent and has made Poland’s media and political environments significantly more hostile. The government has passed further measures limiting free expression and LGBT rights.
Actions Abroad - 46
Poland is an active member of the EU and NATO. Poland has maintained a very close relationship with the United States, acting as effectively their “ride-or-die” in Europe. Poland has participated in American military operations in violation of EU sanctions. Paradoxically, Poland maintains closer relations with China and North Korea than any other EU country. Poland imports both North Korean fish and slave labor, allowing contracted migrant workers supervised by the North Korean government to work various construction jobs within Poland. Poland exports meat to North Korea. Poland’s strict migration laws have placed a disproportionate burder on neighboring countries, notably Germand and Austria, as migrants are expelled from Poland and forced into these countries.
0.4% of Poles live under the international poverty line and 15.2% live under the national poverty line. Poland has an unemployment rate of 3.55%. Poland has a low economic disparity. The minimum wage in Poland is $675 per month. Poland has a strong universal healthcare system, but Polish healthcare is of generally lower quality than most other EU countries. Despite this, Poland's healthcare is generally of high quality throughout the country. Poland’s economy shrunk 2.7% in 2020 and grew 4.5% in 2019.