It’s a real bombshell—“truth against the world.” That’s how one should read not only the content but also the mere fact of the publication of the report When Democrats Govern Undemocratically: The Case of Poland by Matthew Boyse and Peter Doran. Although readers of “Codzienna” will likely not be surprised by its conclusions, that’s not the main point here. It is probably the first document of this importance to appear in the American—and, more broadly, Western—media and academic spheres.
Americans Criticize Tusk’s Government with Concrete Examples
The entire report is based on an analysis of specific areas where the most serious abuses have occurred over the past year. In examining the situation in Poland, the two authors arrive at an obvious—but not widely recognized in the West—conclusion that the government under Donald Tusk’s leadership is violating democratic principles and overturning the political order in a manner unseen since 1989.
Boyse and Doran took a close look, for instance, at the foundations of the political crisis in Poland. They argue that it is a clash of values: on one side, there is a broad “December 13 coalition,” dominated by Civic Coalition (Koalicja Obywatelska), which seeks a tight alliance with Germany and, crucially, moves to limit Polish sovereignty. On the other side is PiS (Law and Justice)—a conservative, national party striving to maintain greater independence from the EU and remaining critical of both Germany and Russia.
There is not enough space to list every example of abuse described in the report—readers are well aware of them. Suffice it to say, the text faithfully depicts Poland’s landscape after more than a year of the “smiling coalition,” from the assaults on public media to the announced revocation of Television Republika’s license, censorship, undermining the independence of the National Bank of Poland, the Constitutional Tribunal, attempts to humiliate judges (requiring them to show “active remorse”), to proposals referencing “transitional justice” or “militant democracy” that would delegalize Law and Justice, cut off the party’s funding, imprison political opponents, and carry out what is being called “de-PiS-ification” at virtually every level of administration.
The Myth of Authoritarianism Under PiS
What particularly deserves our attention are the conclusions presented by the Hudson Institute analysts. The summary states that while the political dispute in Poland is certainly not caused solely by one side, it’s impossible to claim that Poland from 2015 to 2023 was, as critics of that period argue, an “authoritarian state.” Nevertheless, during this period, international institutions and other mechanisms exerted disproportionate pressure on Poland. Specifically, the report mentions that the Biden administration (including former U.S. Ambassador to Poland Mark Brzezinski), the European Commission, as well as the media, think tanks, and experts accepted Tusk’s narrative without question, adopting it as their own. All this because it was deemed that “the people had voted the wrong way.”
“Democracy doesn’t only apply when voters vote ‘the right way,’ and it isn’t ‘populism’ when they vote differently. Polish voters aren’t necessarily ‘far-right’ just because they sympathize with parties other than PO (Civic Platform),” the report states.
Boyse and Doran also come down hard on the European Union and the previous U.S. administration, openly indicating that their goal was to change the government in Poland. We know this well; hence the series of pressures on our country and the extraordinary passivity in the face of the current government’s violations of the law and rule of law.
Crucially, the report’s authors point out that one of the main drivers of Tusk and his circle is… revenge. It’s hard not to conclude that retribution plays a key role in this conflict, as Prime Minister Tusk has neither forgotten his electoral defeats nor that he was labeled a “puppet” of Russia and Germany. “Civic Coalition seeks revenge under the guise of accountability, and it should be cautious about going further down that road—not only because it should consider what may happen to its own politicians in the future when the shoe is on the other foot,” the report asserts.
A Warning to the “Fighting Democrats”
In the conclusion of this extensive document, there is a cautionary note for these so-called “fighting democrats.” Although Matt Boyse and Peter Doran acknowledge that “U.S.-Polish relations are strong, regardless of who holds power in either capital,” they add: “The Trump administration is aware of the Civic Coalition’s clear preference for the Democratic Party and its criticism of President Trump in the last election cycle. President Duda has special ties with President Trump, and PiS’s close ties with the Republican Party are a major asset in Polish foreign policy and bilateral relations.”
“Further attempts by the government (Tusk’s—ed.) to destroy PiS will be noted, and Civic Coalition could lose influence in Washington if it continues to take such an approach toward a friendly political party.”
The U.S. Won’t Sit Back and Watch
It’s hard to interpret this as anything other than a serious warning to Tusk and his associates to slow down their reckless pursuit of political revenge and the annihilation of their political opponents. In fact, signs that the United States has no intention of sitting idly by are already emerging. Starting with the fact that in recent weeks, the only Polish politician privy to discussions on shaping the upcoming changes related to the anticipated ceasefire in Ukraine is President Andrzej Duda—someone who “enjoys special ties with Trump.” This is evidenced by the visit to Poland by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who, after a routine meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, held an unusually lengthy discussion with President Duda. Most noteworthy was the meeting between President Duda and retired General Keith Kellogg, Donald Trump’s special envoy on Ukraine and Russia. Afterward, the Polish leader remarked that “nothing suggests that the U.S. plans to withdraw from Europe,” and immediately called a meeting of the National Security Council.
Following parallel U.S.-Russia talks in Riyadh, Secretary of State Blinken called the foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy, the UK, and the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs to brief them on the discussions. Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski was conspicuously left out. It’s likely only the beginning of such ostracism.
You won’t read about the report When Democrats Govern Undemocratically: The Case of Poland in the mainstream Polish media. The key figures it discusses remain silent on the matter. Although it’s hardly surprising, one can be certain they have studied it in detail. However, we shouldn’t expect any introspection from Tusk and his associates—accurately identified by the Hudson Institute as being “committed to a tight alliance with Germany.”