Three years working in Germany gave me the space and time to write a book on Poland’s ruling party, Law and Justice (PiS), along with a group of academics and journalists. At times, the language also subtly reworked old tropes about Eastern Europe that had lain (largely) dormant for some time. Attempts to explain PiS’ illiberalism tend to end up in a tautological argument that merely exacerbates the initial sense of explanatory impotence. Not every political liberalization necessarily leads to Western-style democracy, after all, as the Arab Spring illustrates all too well. However, in some crucial respects, the return of PiS cannot wholly be thought of as a return.

Source: Forbes December 21, 2018 13:30 UTC