Pandemic Poland

Book excerpt: Poland has been in a phase of change since 2015. The constitutional system of the Third Republic is being restructured. The Judiciary, media, schools and universities are the main focus of attention. This restructure is being celebrated by the government as a renewal of the Polish state, but is being branded by the opposition as the destruction of the Polish Republic in favour of an illiberal democracy. In this already very difficult situation, Poland was confronted with the major challenges posed by a pandemic. What effects will the crisis have on the restructuring of the constitutional system? At present, it seems that the pandemic is acting as a catalyst for those changes. This book aims to provide an informed commentary on those developments and what they mean for the Third Polish Republic.