The Nationalist Movement in Poland: the Third Evolution Phase of Polish Nationalism after 1989?

Abstract

The most significant contribution of this chapter is analysis of factors that have brought about an increase in the social popularity of nationalism in Poland in the second decade of the 21st century. Diagnosis of the factors that determine the younger generation’s demand for nationalists ideas, political events, social networks and organisations is an interesting issue, especially in the context of elections, both held in 2014 and 2015. The author intends to verify the thesis that the NM is not a continuation of mainstream post-1989 Polish nationalism but rather that it constitutes a new type of nationalism altogether. Since 2010, we have been able to observe efforts to initiate a modern political doctrine aimed at providing solutions to contemporary challenges and at bringing about a more effective formula of political activity. Secondly, an important question is to identify which of its political wings – moderate or radical – will emerge as dominant in the near future. Consequently, could the NM pose a threat to democracy or is it a mere protest party operating in the legal framework of the political system? Thirdly, it is difficult accurately to assess the NM’s popularity and electoral potential. The final task is to diagnose whether the NM is a symptom of a legitimacy crisis of the political establishment in Poland.