MFRR in Focus: Opposition wins Poland election

On October 15, Polish voters elected a new parliament, with a broad opposition coalition led by ex-Prime Minister Donald Tusk winning a majority of seats, according to official results published on Tuesday. If the opposition coalition is able to form a government, it will mean the end of the eight-year rule of the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party.

Under PiS, press freedom in Poland came under increasing pressure, with the government borrowing from the illiberal playbook of Hungary’s Viktor Orbán. A report published by IPI and its MFRR partners last month documented how media capture and the widespread use of vexatious lawsuits have been used to create a hostile climate for independent journalism in the country. PiS was also widely seen as undermining the rule of law and judicial independence in Poland, which sparked an ongoing conflict with the EU.

This edition of MFRR in Focus explores what the opposition’s victory might mean for press freedom and the rule of law in Poland. Our guest is Aleksandra Sobczak, deputy editor-in-chief of Gazeta Wyborcza, Poland’s leading daily newspaper, which had a clear pro-opposition editorial line and has been vocal in its support for media freedom. 

Guests: Aleksandra Sobczak, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Gazeta Wyborcza.

Producer and Host: Karol Łuczka, Eastern Europe Advocacy and Monitoring Officer at IPI.

Editor: Javier Luque, Head of digital communications at IPI.

Other episodes in this series:

Engrained challenges for press freedom in Bulgaria
MFRR in Focus: Ariane Lavrilleux and the case of source protection in France
MFRR In Focus: How will the takeover of Polska Press in Poland impact the upcoming election?

Related links:

Report: Media freedom at a crossroads – Journalism in Poland faces uncertain future ahead of election
Poland: Media capture fears confirmed in new report examining PKN Orlen takeover of Polska Press