Title: “Let’s Agree on Poland: Lessons on Polarization, Populism, and Democracy from Poland and Turkey”
Date and Time: December 16, 12:30
Venue: A-130 Seminar Room, FEASS
Speaker: Anna Wojciuk, University of Warsaw
Abstract:
During this event, we will discuss Let’s Agree on Poland in the broader context of comparing the experiences of Turkey and Poland with polarization, populism, and the challenges facing democratic governance. The book, co-authored by a group of 28 well-known intellectuals across political divides, was first published in Poland in 2023, becoming a national bestseller and sparking a wide-ranging public debate on how to address political polarization. Its English edition is now published by Oxford University Press.
Building on the proposals developed in the book, we will explore how societies can mitigate backlash against previously dominant norms of liberal democracy. How can deeply divergent worldviews coexist within one state while safeguarding democracy for the future? The discussion will draw on the Polish case, presenting specific evidence and insights as a contribution to the broader debate on mitigating democratic challenges. We will also reflect on public policies affected by polarization and the erosion of consensus, as well as on fundamental values whose survival is increasingly at risk.
Biography:
Professor Anna Wojciuk is a political scientist at the University of Warsaw whose work focuses on populist foreign policy, democratic backsliding, political polarization, and contemporary right-wing
politics. Her research bridges international relations, comparative politics, discourse analysis, and institutional studies, with a particular interest in how societies navigate polarization while preserving democratic norms.
She is the co-editor and co-author of the widely acclaimed book Let’s Agree on Poland (Oxford University Press, 2025), which brings together leading Polish intellectuals from across the political spectrum to address polarization and propose institutional solutions to democratic backsliding. The original Polish edition became a national bestseller and was described by Polityka as “the most important book on Polish politics since 1989.”
Professor Wojciuk has published extensively with major academic presses, including Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, Routledge, and Palgrave. She is also a frequent commentator on democracy and polarization in international outlets such as Foreign Policy,
Project Syndicate, Haaretz, and Politico.
In addition to her academic work, she is the founder and president of the Social Contract Incubator, a non-profit organization dedicated to strengthening democratic resilience and fostering inclusive public dialogue in Poland.