Poland's last election flew under the radar for a lot of people because it happened only eight days after the Hamas rampage in Israel on Oct. 7, when many who follow world news were focused on the Middle East. But as I argue in my latest column, the defeat of Poland's right-wing nationalist Law and Justice Party — in a contest the party tried to rig in its own favor — was a big deal. Many people had feared that the country was going to go the way of Hungary and transform into an entrenched autocracy. Instead, people flooded the polls and gave power to a centrist, pro-European coalition. Turnout was a staggering 74 percent and, amazingly, was higher among people under 30 than among those 60 and over. Liberal Poles kept comparing the election to the one in 1989, when the Solidarity Movement triumphed over communism. I wanted to go to Poland because this turn away from populist authoritarianism seemed like a ray of light at a time when so much of the news is relentlessly grim. After Donald Trump was elected, many Americans turned to books about how liberal democracies fall apart for clues to our own fate, and Poland often featured in them. Now, I write, Poland can show us what it looks like when a democracy is revitalized. There was so much there to be inspired by, particularly the role that a backlash against a draconian abortion ban — imposed by a constitutional court of dubious legitimacy — played in spurring people to vote. "That was one of those moments when people understood, women especially, that this change in the rule of law is not just a theory, but it has specific consequences for people's lives," Poland's new justice minister, Adam Bodnar, told me. But my trip was also sobering because, at a moment when we're faced with the prospect of a second Trump term, it brought home for me how much easier it is to destroy a democracy than it is to rebuild it. Read the column:
Here's what we're focusing on today:
We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. Games Here are today's Mini Crossword, Wordle and Spelling Bee. If you're in the mood to play more, find all our games here. Forward this newsletter to friends to share ideas and perspectives that will help inform their lives. They can sign up here. Do you have feedback? Email us at opiniontoday@nytimes.com.
If you have questions about your Times account, delivery problems or other issues, visit our Help Page or contact The Times.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday, February 7, 2024
Opinion Today: Democracy should not be taken for granted
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment