The trajectory of the process of democratization in Poland in the light of theory, political praxis and external evaluation: 1989-2019

Abstract

In 1989 Poland decided to implement a democratic regime, but its future was uncertain then. Today, after 30 years of the development of the process of democratization, one can say that the road to democracy is winding. The article analyzes the Polish example of the process of democratization between 1989–2019. It refers to existing theories of the process of democratization and the evaluation of democracy. Although Poland passed through the phases of the erosion of a non-democratic regime, transition and democratic consolidation, the situation after 2015 suggests that there are trends that can reverse the process of democratization. It will be argued that the institutional and behavioral aspects of the process of democratization in Poland cannot be perceived as a linear process.