What is it about?
The article examines how "Gazeta Wyborcza", Poland’s main liberal daily, represented groups who lost out during the 1989–1993 economic and political transformation. It explains why the newspaper was chosen as a key source, outlines the research scope, and situates the coverage in the broader context of systemic change. It also provides a brief overview of the neoliberal economic transformation in Poland in early 1990s. The study highlights patterns in reporting and finds that "Gazeta Wyborcza" rarely offered empathetic analysis of protesters’ grievances or attempted to understand the deeper causes of their discontent.
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Why is it important?
The analysis aims at tracing the roots and origins of the Polish populist revolt of 2015 in the events of the early 1990s, when the losers of transformation were symbolically excluded and denigrated. It created resentment and provoked a backlash against the liberal system in a way that is reminiscent of other populist revolts around the world.
Perspectives
The article and analysis is important for me personally, as I was in my teenage years during the transformation of the early 1990s and had the privilege of belonging to the part of society that benefited vastly from it. My family held liberal views, and my parents have always voted for the liberal center or the left. I wanted to explore in more detail the fate of those who were not so fortunate. Understanding the experiences of those who were left behind helps explain the roots of contemporary social and political tensions in Poland, including the rise of populism.
Jan Sowa
Academy of Fine Arts, Warsaw, Poland
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: The Abject of Transformation or on the Aesthetics of Populophobia, August 2025, De Gruyter,
DOI: 10.1163/9789004732940_005.
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