There’s a saying made by the poet Earle Hitchner, that goes, “The difference between America and England is that Americans think 100 years is a long time, while the English think a 100 miles is a long way.” While I can’t discern the accuracy of what the English (or Europeans in general) think, I can probably (not) discern of what we Americans think. Our history is comparatively much shorter (I mean, President John Tyler’s grandchildren are still alive!), which makes for European society to reflect its history much more than here in the US.

 

As Thomas B. Edsall wrote in a New York Times opinion post, “Two years is an eternity in politics…” This may be true in a sense (after all, in just the two past years, Robert Mueller finished his investigation, the midterm elections occurred, and now the Ukraine scandal). But old habits die hard.

 

Throughout our foray into politics so far, we can see how politics is often merely the representation of a people’s culture, history, and ways of thinking. Just look at the “Solid South,” where the vestiges of slavery and the Civil War influenced Southern whites to vote for the Democratic Party for nigh over a century. Or perhaps South Africa, where the legacy of European colonization and apartheid has caused black South Africans to mostly vote for the African National Congress, whereas white South Africans have mostly voted for the Democratic Alliance.  In this post, we will look at one final country: Poland.

Throughout much of its history, Poland has been besieged on all sides, and primarily by Germany and Russia. Upon the decline of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the late 18^th century, Poland was partitioned among Austria, Prussia, and Russia. The western and northern portions of Poland was given to Prussia, the most southern to Austria, and the rest to Russia. This divide can still be felt by Poland today, regarding religious beliefs, culture, and, of course, politics. (Poland’s territory also “moved” west as the country became gradually independent).

The divide between Germany and Russia has been given an affectionate nickname: Poland A and B. Poland A refers to the area in the western and northernpart of the country – the part that was ruled by Germany.  As such, Poland A tends to be more familiar to Western European ideals, namely secularism. And because Germany was such a powerhouse during the Industrial Era, Poland A tends to be more densely populated, industrialized, and has a much more developed economy (its unemployment rate is starting to increase with the decline of manufacturing).

Poland B, on the other hand, was largely ruled by Russia, an empire that was largely in decline from the 19^th century to its downfall in 1917. Because Russia was very slow to industrialize, Poland B’s economy has reflected that, and is largely poorer and less developed (the divide is relatively low) than its counterpart. And because Russia wasn’t so keen on ideals like secularism, Poland B tends to be much more religious, and largely more conservative.

As stated before, politics is the representation of a people’s culture, history, and ideologies. This can’t be truer for Poland. The western and northern areas of Poland have been influenced by Western European culture and society. As such, the area is largely secular and more liberal. The eastern part of Poland has been influenced by Eastern European culture, and in turn, the area is largely very religious and conservative. And these in turn, have influenced the country’s politics.

Poland, though comprising numerous political parties, is divided between two main ones: Law and Justice (PiS), and Civic Platform (PO). The Law and Justice Party is the current ruling party of Poland, under the leadership of President Adrzej Duda. The PiS is a national-conservative, right-wing, and increasingly populist party. The party has appealed to social conservatives, especially those who are opposed to immigration, abortion, and are fearful of living in a country that isn’t “Christian.” On the other hand, the PO is a largely centrist party with liberal elements. The PO isn’t as aggressively religious, is more socially liberal, is pro-EU, and doesn’t take hardline stances on immigration. So where do these parties perform the best?

As one would expect, the PiS and PO perform well among people who believe in their policies, largely determined by those people’s history and culture. To be expected, Poland A (including the city of Warsaw) tends to vote for Civic Platform, and Poland B consistently votes for Law and Justice. The history of over two hundred years still affects the country today.

But times are changing. Like in many other countries around the world (particularly the US), the divisions of yesteryear are becoming less and less prevalent. As Poland A starts to decline in manufacturing and its GDP decreases, the largely post-industrial areas have started to vote increasingly for the PiS, inspired by that party’s anti-immigrant, protectionist rhetoric. And as the cities start to develop more and become wealthier, they too have voted increasingly for the PO, largely because of shared liberal values. Now this isn’t too different from the US, is it?

 

Politics is an intimate part of human society, whether a country is a republic, an absolute monarchy, or somewhere in between. It is that society’s representation of itself. And as a society progresses, so too does its politics change. Whether that is for better or worse, we can’t say for sure.

 

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog!