Poland’s Populist Catch-22
The Polish government's efforts to prevent the European Union from enforcing "rule of law" conditionality on future funding is not just a reflection of its illiberal nature. Rather, the ruling coalition is in the throes of a subtle but all-consuming fight over who will emerge as the future face of Polish populism.
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WARSAW – A half-billion people across the European Union have effectively been held hostage by United Poland, a tiny Polish political party that is largely unknown even among the country’s voters. At issue was a principle that 66% of Poles support: EU funding should be made conditional on a recipient country’s respect for the rule of law – a key provision in the EU’s 2021-27 budget and COVID-19 recovery fund.