Civic Council on European Democracy – Talks Across Europe #3: Warsaw, Poland

In the final session of the Civic Council on European Democracy - Talks across Europe, we discuss with prominent Polish and other European thinkers how culture and the media can, on the one hand, safeguard democratic values, but on the other hand be effective propaganda tools for radical-right wing politicians to spread populism and nationalism.

Over three decades after its first free democratic election, Poland’s meticulously built democracy and civil society are facing extreme challenges. Since 2015, Poland has registered an exceptional degree of decline in democratic quality, looking at the electoral process, media freedom, and judicial review. During this period, the rule of law, human rights, minority rights and the free press have been violated by the ruling right-wing government.

Given these crucial challenges for Polish society that are also found in other European countries, the role of culture and free media in sheltering the values of democracy has become more evident. Especially in these times of ever-increasing polarization between pro- and anti-democratic forces both leveraging cultural trends and the media to further their own political agenda. What is the role of culture and the media in protecting democracies both in Poland and Europe and how can they contribute to the idea of ‘a European demos’?

During the event, the following speakers will present their thought-provoking insights on the current political climate in Poland, safe use of culture and the media, and future perspectives on European democracy.

• Kalypso Nicolaïdis - Director of the Centre for International Studies at Oxford University
• Reka Kinga Papp - Editor in Chief Eurozine
• Simon Strauss - Writer, theater critic, and historian
• Alicja Gescinska - Author
• Vasyl Cherepanyn - Editor in Chief of Ukrainian Political Critique magazine
• Rytis Zemkauskas - Journalist, writer, broadcaster, and film director
• Zuzanna Lewandowska - Programme director of Wyborcza Philantropies
• Sylwia Gregorczyk -Abram - Co-Founder of the Justice Defense Committee and the Free Courts Foundation
• Zofia Król - Editor in Chief for Dwutygodnik
• Grzegorz Jarzyna - Artistic leader of TR Warszawa
• Bassem Akiki - Music director of the Wroclaw Opera
• Olga Brzezińska - Co-founder of the City of Literature Foundation
• Zuzanna Radzik - Vice President of the Forum for Dialogue
• Miłosz Wiatrowski - PhD candidate in history at Yale University, Editor at Gazeta Wyborza.

The Civic Council is an initiative of the Forum on European Culture in Amsterdam, organised by DutchCulture and De Balie. Over the three sessions of the Civic Council, we combine the perspectives of European thinkers, civil society actors and artists to create new ideas on how to improve our European democracies and bring Europeans closer together.