Our most popular article from each month of a memorable year.
poland
Polish king’s suit of armour returned by Hungary after 18th century bureaucratic error
The childhood suit of armour belonged to 16th century Polish king Sigismund II Augustus.
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Polish cultural institutions are rotting from the top down
Piotr Kosiewski
There is growing concern about the situation at two major public museums in Warsaw, highlighting the problems caused by how the current government exercises power.
Migration, demographics, and history: Poland and Britain
Stanley Bill
Stanley Bill compares and contrasts the histories of immigration and attitudes towards the phenomenon in Poland and Britain.
Poland’s “anti-immigration” government is overseeing one of Europe’s biggest waves of immigration – but doesn’t want to admit it
Daniel Tilles
Daniel Tilles explains how Poland’s government wants to reap the economic benefits of immigration while persuading its supporters that it remains opposed to it. This is a balancing act that will inevitably collapse.
Poland’s “insult laws” and the threat to free speech
Daniel Tilles
Daniel Tilles analyses Poland’s unusually zealous enforcement of “insult laws” and how they are unequally enforced, creating a threat to free speech.
Poles and the Holocaust: new research, old controversies
Stanley Bill
Stanley Bill presents the findings of new research on the role of some Poles in the Holocaust, as well as the associated backlash in a climate of politicised history.
The “Polish death camps” controversy: Poland is not the only country that should confront its Holocaust history
Daniel Tilles
Daniel Tilles refocuses attention on the Antisemitism of the Allies during WWII, in light of the recent “Holocaust Law” and associated international outrage.
Kiełbasa politics: Poland’s government and the European Union
Stanley Bill
Stanley Bill delves into the details of Poland’s evolving populism. He discusses judicial reforms, comparisons to the United States, and the increasing tension with the European Union.
Polish nationalism on the march: the context behind the controversy
Stanley Bill
Stanley Bill looks into the 11 November March of Independence, how it has been covered, the government’s support for it, and the spectre of radical-right wingers in Polish politics.
Forcing refugees on Poland will do more harm than good
Daniel Tilles
Daniel Tilles studies possible outcomes of the European Union forcing migrants from Muslim countries on Poland.
What does Jarosław Kaczyński want? Poland and the rule of law
Stanley Bill
Stanley Bill discusses Jarosław Kaczyński’s grand vision for Poland, the ideological basis on which it stands, its effects, and prospects for success.
Lech Wałęsa and the politics of history
Siobhan Doucette
Siobhan Doucette discusses the figure of Solidarity hero Lech Wałęsa and the accusations that he informed on fellow dissidents to the SB.
The strong and the weak: Poland and the new international order
Stanley Bill
Stanley Bill discusses Poland’s place in the new international system of Donald Trump and Brexit.
