The Routledge Handbook of Polish Politics and Society

This handbook offers a comprehensive and expert account of the central issues shaping contemporary Polish politics and society, with in-depth analysis of the political, social, cultural and economic consequences of the country's systemic transformation over the past thirty-five years. Through a series of cutting-edge chapters, it traces the patterns that render the country intelligible in all its complexity, drawing on compelling case studies of salient themes including democratisation and de-democratisation, post-communist political systems, and European integration in one of the EU's largest and most populous member states. More than a quarter-century into NATO membership and over two decades since joining the EU, Poland is an essential case for understanding Central and Eastern European politics, exemplifying both the development of democratic institutions and civic society and the parallel rise of populist and authoritarian tendencies in its internal politics. The Routledge Handbook of Polish Politics and Society is an authoritative and indispensable reference text for students, academics and researchers engaged in the study of Polish politics, East European politics, and post-communist politics and society, and more broadly for those working on European politics, democratisation and comparative politics.