The Power of the Candles
The Polish people have been taking the streets for almost two weeks now, voicing and demonstrating their disapproval of the government’s plans and attempts to change the judicial system, or as they phrase it, ‘reform the judiciary’. The Sejm (the Polish parliament) adopted three bills featuring changes in the appointment of judges and the organisation of regional and local courts, the Supreme Court and the National Judicial Council. As the government’s party PiS (Prawo i Sprawiedliwość, polish for Law and Justice) holds majorities in both the lower house and in the Senate, the bills passed despite mass protest sparking off across the country. People are concerned as the changes would basically abolish separation of powers. PiS, through its majority and through representing the government, would obtain the possibility to appoint judges, or exchange them for that matter, which consequently would lead to not only politicising the judicial process but also allow them appointing favourable judges, who would interpret the law in their interest. The PiS representatives claim that reform is necessary as the courts would still operate under the same system, which was established under communist rule.
Thousands and thousands of people have meanwhile taken the streets, raising their hands with candles, waving Polish flags, and singing the national anthem together in public places, most of the time in front of court buildings.
The fact that the government moved forward with the passing despite the protests has sparked global criticism, causing even the U.S. State Department and Canada’s government to speak out in a press release and on Twitter, after concerns were also voiced across Europe, as well as the EU threatening to take legal actions and invoking Article 7 of the Lisbon Treaty as the rule of law is threatened in Poland (which could leave Poland stripped off its voting rights, if invoked).
President Andrzej Duda (who is a member of the PiS party, and in the past has always voiced and showed support for the government’s actions) has vetoed two of three bills, much to the surprise and disapproval of the government. Which promptly announced to be wanting to move ahead with the 'reforms' anyway. The people from the streets were satisfied only for a short while by the President's move, however, continued to demonstrate as they also want a veto on the third bill, the one concerning the lower courts.
Observing Poland at the moment can teach valuable lessons:
People still care about politics.
Many that would consider themselves as apolitical, have found their political consciousness during the last two weeks, joining a protest and demonstrating activism for the first time in their life.
Voting for a populist party two years ago, does not mean you still support it, or you agree with the policy developments. Many have come to realise that the motivation they casted their vote for PiS in the 2015 elections has not been met with the expected results, and the reform of the judiciary was just the last stroke to break the camel’s back.
The Polish President – whether genuinely or being aware of the critics in Brussels and beyond – stepped up his game and put a hold to the government’s aspirations of change, despite usually being a close ally and also a party member.
A lesson learned process among the government under Prime Minister Beata Szydlo is not in sight, as she announced her and her government will continue to push on the reforms despite the vetoes by the president.
The protests in Warsaw re-visited the sight of President Trump’s speech. Which vanished from the headlines as quickly as it took POTUS to read out his half sentence with the US commitment to Article 5. The square is now known to have hosted a sea of candles, to have witnessed the Polish people showing love and respect for their country, and their country’s system, which is based on democratic principles, including the rule of law, which sees a separation of powers. The image of the Supreme Court at night, with the words “our court” projected on them – that will prevail in the heads, instead of the scenes of bussed groups of scanting Poles, cheering for a president, giving them a lecture on their own history.
Always stock up on candles. There might be a historic moment happening outside your door, which has candles as the main identifying and unifying symbol, and the supermarkets and kiosks have sold ‘em all. (It actually happened.)
On a more serious note, a great overview (in English) on background, developments, facts and figures, processes, and potentials is provided by Polytika Insight, which lifted their paywall to allow informed opinion forming. Find it here.
Photo credit: Katarzyna Bartosiak
