The Polish constitutional court caused an uproar within the European community when they declared EU treaties ultra vires back in October. The Polish constitutional court has become notorious ignoring the legal hierarchy of EU law, forcing us to question why this Polish party continues to gain popularity. The Law and Justice party has ruled since winning the elections in 2015 and has continued to restrict its citizens from freedoms that are (supposedly) protected by constitutional law. How is it that people are continuing to support the Law and Justice party? And do they actually know what they’re voting for?

The Law and Justice party has made notable strives, contributing to a growing economy throughout the country. They managed to keep several promises made during the 2015 elections, such as their child subsidiy program to support low-income families and unemployment rates are at a record low. When looking at the socio-economic status of Polish citizens these are changes directly improving the quality of life of a large proportion of voters. This story takes a bitter turn resulting in strains on public finances and increased public debt, a major risk if the Polish economy were to take a hit. 

It seems this economic risk is not affecting voters’ mindsets. These voting trends act as an important indicator of the political literacy status of Poland and as the Law and Justice party tackle issues that are especially concerning to Polish citizens, they are able to majorly influence their population’s mindset. The EU’s stance on the immigration crisis for example is of great concern to Poles, and the government’s focus on the risks and dangers of increased immigration plays a large role in the way a Polish voter may choose to vote. The Polish ‘Polityka’ journal conducted a poll which found 51% of the respondents would support leaving the EU to prevent entry of Muslim migrants. Polish citizens are deeply concerned by the potential threat to national sovereignty and security, which could be linked to Poland’s history of communism. 

Another reason behind current voting trends are the shockingly low participation statistics of Polish citizens in elections. In fact, the highest turnout rated at 62% was for the very first free elections in 1989 and have been steadily declining since. Why don’t more polish citizens feel the need to vote? The opposition party has not succeeding to match Law and Justice in tackling issues that tend to be as great of concern to Polish voters. The Law and Justice Party is extremely tactful when taking these socialization agents into consideration when arguing their stance on political issues.

According to professor Aleks Szczerbiak at the University of Sussex, Polish citizens tend to vote pro EU, however the Polish political playing field has been overridden by Kaczyński, turning television networks into propaganda spreaders, restricting free speech, and controlling the Polish court system. This environment is not set up to improving political literacy, but to keep one party in control. 

The system sounds like a daunting cycle, one that is genuinely concerning for the future of Polish politics. The low voting outcomes show that Poles are not aware of the importance and power that political literacy can have on political change and the question remains, how do Polish citizens gain political knowledge in a bias environment?