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Poland Out in the Cold

Is Poland reforming for the better or slipping towards authoritarianism?

Poland is one of Europe's economic success stories - and after Brexit, Poland stands to become the EU's fifth-largest state. France and Germany had hoped Poland would work with them to find solutions to the EU's big challenges, such as migration. But Poland is taking a different path. Since taking power in 2015, the Law and Justice Party has attacked EU institutions and criticised the German government in particular for being too welcoming to migrants. Tensions came to a head this week with the implementation of a new law in Poland that requires judges to retire when they turn sixty-five. The European Commission has accused Poland of undermining the independence of its judiciary and has launched legal action against the government in Warsaw. So, is Poland implementing necessary reforms or slipping towards authoritarianism?

Available now

50 minutes

Last on

Sat 7 Jul 2018 03:06GMT

Contributors

Alexandra Rybinska -听a journalist on the weekly magazine Sieci

Dominic Tarczinsky -听an MP for the governing Law and Justice party

Marek Tatala -听Vice President of the Civil Development Forum, a Warsaw NGO

Charles Crawford -听was the听UK's ambassador to Poland from 2003 to 2007

Also featuring -

Sophie in 't Veld - Dutch Member of the European Parliament

Photo

Photo of Polish nationalists by Omar Marques/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Broadcasts

  • Fri 6 Jul 2018 08:06GMT
  • Fri 6 Jul 2018 17:06GMT
  • Fri 6 Jul 2018 23:06GMT
  • Sat 7 Jul 2018 03:06GMT

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