Youth Activism in Poland: Perceptions of Protest and Civic Engagement

Abstract

During national crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, government approval tends to surge. In Poland, however, there was a pronounced resistance to the government’s management of the pandemic in a context of the ongoing democratic backsliding. As part of the crisis response, the Polish right-wing government adopted measures that not only tried to contain the virus but also encroached on civil liberties. This paper sets out to understand the significance of the civic activism that flourished among young people, who took diverse grievances to the streets. An analysis of focus group discussions in two contrasting Polish cities allows us to examine perspectives on the resurgence of civic activism. Under the right-wing government, conservative youth groups received governmental support and refrained from protests, while liberals mobilized to defend democratic values. A Constitutional Tribunal ruling which imposed further restrictions on abortion served as a catalyst for protests. Irrespective of their political orientation, young Poles valued protest as a means of individual expression and as a manifestation of lived democracy. Our findings show that government opponents saw protest as an opportunity to advocate for cultural-liberal issues, while government supporters perceived it as a tipping point, signaling government failure. Despite political divisions, Polish youth stressed the importance of freedoms and human rights. The government’s exploitation of the pandemic to limit human rights led to a rallying in their defense.