President Biden's administration towards the quality of democracy and the rule of law in Poland

Łukasz Jureńczyk

doi:10.35765/hp.2392

Data publikacji : 2022-11-24

Tom 14 Nr 47 (2023)

President Biden's administration towards the quality of democracy and the rule of law in Poland

Łukasz Jureńczyk

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1149-925X

DOI: https://doi.org/10.35765/hp.2392

Dział: Vol. 14, No. 47 (2023): Granice władzy w demokracji konstytucyjnej

Abstrakt

RESEARCH OBJECTIVE: The aim is to analyze and evaluate the attitude of the American administration to the issue of compliance with the principles of democracy and the rule of law in Poland in the context of the war in Ukraine.

THE RESEARCH PROBLEM AND METHODS: The main question is whether the war in Ukraine influenced the approach of President Biden’s administration to the issue of the quality of democracy and the rule of law in Poland? The analysis is carried out in the perspective of the concept of quality of democracy. The author interviewed American researchers and used the method of analyzing the content of text sources.

THE PROCESS OF ARGUMENTATION: The first part covers a theoretical framework for the quality of democracy and the rule of law. The second part presents a synthetic presentation of the main elements of the dispute in Poland around these values. The next two parts cover the approach of the American administration to legal changes in Poland affecting the quality of democracy and the rule of law.

RESEARCH RESULTS: The war in Ukraine silenced American criticism of Poland. This is because the US strategic security interests take precedence over other values and interests. However, when the war in Ukraine is over, this problem may return and weigh heavily on Polish-American relations, especially if Democrats remain in power.

CONCLUSIONS, INNOVATIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS: The political and legal dispute in Poland concerning the quality of democracy and the rule of law contributes to the international discussion on this topic. In the mainstream Western literature, there is a serious criticism of the actions of the Polish authorities, sometimes conducted without taking into account the weaknesses of contemporary liberal democracy. The illiberal trend in Poland and other countries in the region, especially in Hungary, fuels criticism of these actions.

Szczegóły

Bibliografia

Statystyki

Autorzy

Pobierz pliki

PDF (English)

Zasady cytowania

Wskaźniki altmetryczne

Licencja

Uwagi dotyczące praw autorskich

Autorzy publikujący w tym czasopiśmie wyrażają zgodę na następując warunki:

Autorzy zachowują prawa autorskie, przyznając czasopismu prawo do pierwszej publikacji swojego tekstu jednocześnie zarejestrowanego pod numerem licencji CC BY-ND, która pozwala innym na korzystanie z tego tekstu z uznaniem autorstwa tekstu oraz pierwotnej publikacji w tym czasopiśmie.
Autorzy proszeni są o nawiązywanie odrębnych, dodatkowych porozumień wynikających z umowy, dotyczących dystrybucji opublikowanej w czasopiśmie wersji tekstu nie na prawach wyłączności (np. opublikowanie go w repozytorium instytucji lub w innym czasopiśmie), z potwierdzeniem pierwszej publikacji w tym czasopiśmie.

Wyraża się zgodę i zachęca autorów do publikacji ich tekstu w Internecie (np. w repozytorium instytucji lub na jej stronie internetowej) przed lub podczas procesu składania tekstu jako, że może to prowadzić do korzystnych wymian oraz wcześniejszego i większego cytowania opublikowanego tekstu (Patrz The Effect of Open Access). Zalecamy wykorzystanie dowolnego portalu stowarzyszeń badawczych z niżej wymienionych:

Bibliografia

Appel, H. (2019). Can the EU Stop Eastern Europe’s Illiberal Turn? Critical Review: A Journal of Politics and Society, 31(3–4), 255–266. DOI: 10.1080/08913811.2019.1647956.

Bellamy, R., & Kröger, S. (2021). Countering Democratic Backsliding by EU Member States: Constitutional Pluralism and ‘Value’ Dif-ferentiated Integration. Swiss Political Science Review, 27(3), 619–636. DOI: 10.1111/spsr.12448.

Biddle, S. (2022, May 5). Interview given to the author. New York: Co-lumbia University.

Brzezinski, M. (2021, December 1). Opening Statement of Mark Brzezinski, Nominee to be the U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Po-land Senate Foreign Relations Committee. U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. https://www.foreign.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/120121_Brzezinski_Testimony.pdf (accessed on: 16th Nov. 2022).

Bunikowski, D. (2018). The Constitutional Crisis in Poland, Schmittian Questions and Kaczyński’s Political and Legal Phi-losophy. Journal of Contemporary European Studies, 26(3), 285–307. DOI: 10.1080/14782804.2018.1498771.

Burlyuk, O., & End, S. (2017). Different Means: The Evolution of Po-land’s Support for Ukraine at the European Level. East European Politics and Societies and Cultures, 31(2), 311–333. DOI: 10.1177/0888325416687637.

Cm/kb (2020, October 16). Biden Categorises Poland alongside Belarus and Totalitarian Regimes. TVP World. https://polandin.com/50360761/biden-categorises-poland-alongside-belarus-and-totalitarian-regimes (accessed on: 16th Nov. 2022).

Department of State (2017a, July 21). Poland: Independence of the Judi-ciary. Press Statement. https://2017-2021.state.gov/poland-independence-of-the-judiciary/index.html (accessed on: 16th Nov. 2022).

Department of State (2017b, December 12). Poland: National Broad-casting Council’s Fine on TVN24. Press Statement. https://2017-2021.state.gov/poland-national-broadcasting-councils-fine-on-tvn24/index.html (accessed on: 16th Nov. 2022).

Department of State (2017c, September 28). Department Press Brief-ing – September 28, 2017. https://2017-2021.state.gov/briefings/department-press-briefing-september-28-2017/index.html (accessed on: 16th Nov. 2022).

Department of State (2020). Poland 2020 Human Rights Report. Execu-tive Summary. U.S. Embassy & Consulate in Poland. https://pl.usembassy.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/hrr_2020_poland.pdf (accessed on: 16th Nov. 2022).

Department of State (2021a, August 11). Poland’s Troubling Legisla-tion. Press Statement. https://www.state.gov/polands-troubling-legislation/ (accessed on: 16th Nov. 2022).

Department of State (2021b, December 17). Weakened Media Freedom in Poland. Press

Statement. https://www.state.gov/weakened-media-freedom-in-poland/ (ac-cessed on: 16th Nov. 2022).

Department of State (2021c, December 28). Secretary Blinken’s Tele-phone Call with Polish Foreign Minister Rau. https://www.state.gov/secretary-blinkens-telephone-call-with-polish-foreign-minister-rau/ (accessed on: 16th Nov. 2022).

Department of State (2022a, February 4). Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Polish Foreign Minister Rau. https://www.state.gov/secretary-blinkens-meeting-with-polish-foreign-minister-rau/ (accessed on: 16th Nov. 2022).

Department of State (2022b, May 3). Poland’s National Day. Press Statement. https://www.state.gov/polands-national-day/ (accessed on: 16th Nov. 2022).

Department of State (2022c, November 2). Poland’s Announcement on Westinghouse Nuclear Technology Selection. Press Satatement. https://www.state.gov/polands-announcement-on-westinghouse-nuclear-technology-selection/ (accessed on: 16th Nov. 2022).

Department of State (2022d, 31 October). U.S. Security Cooperation With Poland. Fact Sheet. https://www.state.gov/u-s-security-cooperation-with-poland/ (accessed on: 16th Nov. 2022).

Diamond, L., & Morlino, L. (2004). The Quality of Democracy: An Overview. Journal of Democracy, 15(4), 20–31. DOI: 10.1353/jod.2004.0060.

Doyle, M. (2022, April 27). Interview given to the author. New York: Columbia University.

European Court of Justice (2019a, June 24). The Polish legislation con-cerning the lowering of the retirement age of judges of the Supreme Court is contrary to EU law. Press Release No 81/19. Judgment in Case C-619/18. Commission v Poland. https://curia.europa.eu/jcms/upload/docs/application/pdf/2019-06/cp190081en.pdf (accessed on: 16th Nov. 2022).

European Court of Justice (2019b, November 19). Judgment of the Court (Grand Chamber) in Joined Cases C585/18, C624/18 and C625/18. https://curia.europa.eu/juris/document/document.jsf?text=&docid=220770&pageIndex=0&doclang=EN&-mode=lst&dir=&occ=first&part=1&cid=419729 (accessed on: 16th Nov. 2022).

Freedom House (2023a). Nations in Transit 2022. https://freedomhouse.org/country/poland/nations-transit/2022 (accessed on: 16th Nov. 2022).

Freedom House (2023b). Freedom in the World 2023. https://freedomhouse.org/country/poland/freedom-world/2023 (accessed on: 16th Nov. 2022).

Fried, D., & Wiśniewski, J. (2021, July 16). Poland and the United States: What’s right, what’s not, and what’s next. Atlantic Council. https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/in-depth-research-reports/issue-brief/poland-and-the-united-states-whats-right-whats-not-and-whats-next/ (accessed on: 16th Nov. 2022).

Ganga, P. (2022, May 24). Interview given to the author. New York: Columbia University.

George, J. (2022, May 23). Interview given to the author. New York: Columbia University.

Goldgeier, J. (2022, May 16). Interview given to the author. Washing-ton D.C.: American University.

Grady, J. (2022, September 28). Polish Foreign Minister: Ukraine Needs More Money, Military Equipment from Allies. USNI News. https://news.usni.org/2022/09/28/polish-foreign-minister-ukraine-needs-more-money-military-equipment-from-allies (accessed on: 16th Nov. 2022).

Gwiazda, A. (2021). Right-wing populism and feminist politics: The case of Law and Justice in Poland. International Political Science Review, 42(5), 580–595. DOI: 10.1177/0192512120948917.

Högström, J. (2011). Quality of Democracy: A Comparative Study. Paper presented at the first IPSA-ECPR Joint Conference: Whatever Hap-pened to North-South?, Sao Paulo 16th-19th February 2011. DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.1.3747.2482.

Jančošekovà, V. (2017). Regional cooperation in Central and Eastern Europe and its im-plications for the EU, European View, 16, 231–238. DOI: 10.1007/s12290-017-0460-8.

Kotwas, M., & Kubik, J. (2019). Symbolic Thickening of Public Cul-ture and the Rise of Right-Wing Populism in Poland. East Europe-an Politics and Societies and Cultures, 33(2), 435–471. DOI: 10.1177/0888325419826691.

Lewandowski, A. (2022). Endogenne źródła kryzysu demokracji li-beralnej jako przedmiot badań. Horyzonty Polityki 13(44), 85–104. DOI: 10.35765/HP.2299.

Mauk, M. (2021). Quality of Democracy Makes a Difference, but Not for Everyone. Frontiers in Political Science, 3, 1–14. DOI: 10.3389/fpos.2021.637344.

Miller, M. (2022, April 26). Interview given to the author. Washington D.C.: George Washington University.

Morcos, P. (2022, May 11). Interview given to the author. Washington D.C.: Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Morgan, K. (2022, May 5). Interview given to the author. George Washington University. Washington D.C.

Morlino, L. (2011). Changes for Democracy: Actors, Structures, Process-es. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

PAP (2022, August 16). Poland second largest donor of military aid to Ukraine – German think tank. The First News. https://www.thefirstnews.com/article/poland-second-largest-donor-of-military-aid-to-ukraine---german-think-tank-32424 (ac-cessed on: 16th Nov. 2022).

Pifer, S. (2022, April 29). Interview given to the author. Washington D.C.: Brookings Institution.

President.pl (2016, July 8). Polish and US Presidents Meet in Warsaw. https://www.president.pl/en/news/art,209,polish-and-us-presidents-meet-in-warsaw.html (accessed on: 16th Nov. 2022).

Reporters Without Borders (2023). 2022 World Press Freedom Index. https://rsf.org/en/index.

Skrzypek, M. (2021). Democratic Backsliding in Poland on Example Drafts Amendments in Electoral Code during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Polish Political Science Yearbook, 50(2), 37–50. DOI: 10.15804/ppsy202105.

Szymański, A. (2020). Podejścia teoretyczne do badania demokraty-zacji i autokratyzacji na poziomie lokalnym i regionalnym. Poli-tyka i Społeczeństwo, 2(18), 57–74. DOI: 10.15584/polispol.2020.2.5.

The White House (2021, December 8). FACT SHEET: The Biden-⁠Harris Administration is Taking Action to Restore and Strengthen American Democracy. https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/12/08/fact-sheet-the-biden-harris-administration-is-taking-action-to-restore-and-strengthen-american-democracy/ (accessed on: 16th Nov. 2022).

The White House (2022a, March 24). FACT SHEET: The Biden Admin-istration Announces New Humanitarian, Development, and Democ-racy Assistance to Ukraine and the Surrounding Region. https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/03/24/fact-sheet-the-biden-administration-announces-new-humanitari-an-development-and-democracy-assistance-to-ukraine-and-the-surrounding-region/ (accessed on: 16th Nov. 2022).

The White House (2022b, June 17). Statement by President Joe Biden on Support for Ukraine and Call with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine. https://pl.usembassy.gov/support_ukraine/.

Trybunał Konstytucyjny (2020, 21 April). Spór kompetencyjny między Sejmem RP a Sądem Najwyższym oraz między Prezydentem RP a Sądem Najwyższym. https://trybunal.gov.pl/postepowanie-i-orzeczenia/komunikaty-prasowe/komunikaty-po/art/11048 (accessed on: 16th Nov. 2022).

Venice Commision (2017, 8 December). CDL-AD(2017)031-e. Po-land – Opinion on the Draft Act amending the Act on the National Council of the Judiciary; on the Draft Act amending the Act on the Supreme Court, proposed by the President of Poland, and on the Act on the Organisation of Ordinary Courts. https://www.venice.coe.int/webforms/documents/?pdf=CDL-AD(2017)031-e (accessed on: 16th Nov. 2022).

V-Dem (2023). Democracy Report 2023. Defiance in the Face of Au-tocratization. https://v-dem.net/documents/29/V-dem_democracyreport2023_lowres.pdf (accessed on: 16th Nov. 2022).

Waldron, J. (2008). The Concept and the Rule of Law. Georgia Law Review, 43(1), 1–61.

Wolchik, L. (2022, May 18). Interview given to the author. Washington D.C.: George Washington University.

Youngs, R. (2022, July 20). Autocracy Versus Democracy After the Ukraine Invasion: Mapping a Middle Way. Carnegie Europe. https://carnegieeurope.eu/2022/07/20/autocracy-versus-democracy-after-ukraine-invasion-mapping-middle-way-pub-87525 (ac-cessed on: 16th Nov. 2022).

Zabakhidze, R. (2021). United States partnerships with Georgia and Ukraine: Prospects for advancing militarycooperation. Washington D.C.: Middle East Institute.

Zielonka, J. (2018). Kontrrewolucja. Liberalna Europa w odwrocie. War-szawa: Wydawnictwo PWN.

Total abstract views : 77

PDF Downloads : 96