/491/ Squeezed Between Two Empires ft. Maciej Szlinder (Patreon)

On Poland's election, its history, its self-conception.

Philosopher Maciej Szlinder joins us to talk about Polish politics, society and history. Maciej is a member of the general council of the left-wing political party Razem ("Together"), as well as the president of the Polish Basic Income Network, so we discuss these matters as well as the general context.

How did Poland represent a beacon of neoliberal democracy to Western liberals in the 80s and 90s – and what happened next?

What does Poland represent, to Poles and to the rest of Europe, today?

Is the political duopoly of the centrist Civic Platform and the right-wing Law and Justice falling apart?

Why is political turnout up – and what anti-establishment parties are the young voting for?

Why is Poland the most pro-American country in Europe, and how does Trump affect that?

What is Poland's huge economic success felt like on the ground?

How does precarious employment and emigration impact Polish politics?

Links:

In the Polish Mirror, Gavin Rae, New Left Review

In Poland, Presidential Hopefuls Battle for Young Voters Who Don’t Like Them, NY Times