The Polkast

In the latest episode of The Polkast, we dive into the evolving story of Poland’s left-wing party, Razem. Our guest is Paweł Jasiński, a city councillor in Cieszyn and a Razem member. Join us as we unpack the party’s formation in 2015, its rise as a bold voice for progressive politics, and the recent challenges that have shaken its foundation. Why did Razem part ways with its coalition partners? W...

We're back! It’s been a year since Poland’s historic election which ousted PiS, and installed a coalition government led by Donald Tusk. A year on, where is Poland at? In the first episode of season 3, we look back on the hopes and promises that led a record-breaking number of voters to go to the polls last year. How many of them have materialised? Tune in to learn more about the new government’s...

The 15 October general election finally ended Law and Justice's (PiS) parliamentary majority, allowing the “democratic opposition” to form a government. The results were met with celebratory headlines across Europe, but the picture is more complex. As the new coalition government takes shape, we’re taking a closer look at what it might mean for Poland. In this episode, Ewa and Ana analyse the...

Już 15 października odbędą się w Polsce wybory do Sejmu i Senatu. W głosowaniu wybranych zostanie 460 posłów i 100 senatorów na czteroletnią kadencję. Na ten dzień zaplanowano również referendum ogólnokrajowe. W tym odcinku rozmawiamy z Małgorzatą Hallewell – Polką, która współtworzy inicjatywę „Polonia Głosuje” i angażuje się w działania profrekwencyjne wśród Polonii. Usłyszycie między innymi o t...

On the 15th of October, Poland is facing a key election. After eight years of ultra-conservative governments and deepening authoritarianism, there’s finally a glimmer of hope for progressive change - but also a real risk of the country shifting even further to the right. Which direction will Poland choose? In this episode, we explain the different political parties contesting the election and disc...

The Solidarność movement is one of several events in Polish history that nearly every political tendency tries to claim as their own. Should it be seen primarily as a workers’ struggle? A pro-democracy uprising? A national liberation movement? Or a movement for capitalism? What is the legacy of Solidarność - and who in Poland has got the strongest claim to it?  In this episode, we analyse the stor...

The slogan “housing is a right, not a commodity” has risen into prominence in Poland, sparking a great deal of debate. But what does the right to housing mean in the Polish context? In this episode, we talk about the housing situation in Poland: its history and how it changed in the era of transformation; current problems and the solutions proposed by different sides of the political spectrum. Is...

In today’s episode, we’re discussing a topic that’s impossible to escape when talking about Poland: religion. It’s come up during many of our previous episodes, so it’s time to fill in the gaps. How did religion come to play such a big role in Polish public life? Is Poland following Western Europe and starting to secularise? What does the process of leaving the Catholic Church look like? And what&...

It’s normally the right accusing the left of being easily offended and engaging in cancel culture. But in Poland, artists can be arrested and face trial purely for offending someone’s feelings… In the first episode of season 2, we discuss art and censorship in today’s Poland. We’ll talk about Poland’s blasphemy/'insult laws' and their use by the current government, the takeover of arts ins...

💥 Goodbye to 2022! In our final episode of the year, we look back on what Poland’s been up to over the past 12 months. How has the war in Ukraine affected Polish society? What’s been the impact of soaring inflation on the political scene? What were some of our cultural highlights and lowlights of the passing year - and how did Poland do in the World Cup? Hear us chat about these questions and mor...

In this episode, we introduce the complexities of the Polish media landscape, covering public, corporate and independent media. We talk about the changes that Law and Justice Party implemented since coming to power and debates about media ownership - such as the infamous Lex TVN. Our guest Marta Tycner is an editor of Polityka Insight, responsible for daily analyses and briefings of the major news...

In the autumn of 2020, Poland saw its biggest wave of protest since the collapse of the Berlin Wall. Women and their allies in cities and towns tooks to the streets to resist the further restriction of abortion law. What is the legacy of that movement? What led to it, and what has been happening since? And what are the prospects for abortion being finally legalised in Poland? In this episode, we a...

In this episode, we talk with the founders of an organisation called Polish Migrants Organise for Change (POMOC): Magda Fabiańczyk and  Marzena Zukowska. Our guests share how their own diverse experiences of migration shaped their worldview and work, speak about the challenges they faced as organisers, and the most pressing issues facing migrants in the context of Brexit and the Tory "hostile...

The Polkast is back, with an episode about the workers' movement in Poland. We had the pleasure to speak to Katarzyna Duda, author and researcher working for the All-Poland Alliance of Trade Unions (OPZZ), and Maciej Grodzicki, economist and activist with the union Inicjatywa Pracownicza (Workers' Initiative). What is the trade union landscape in Poland? What have been the biggest victories - and...

We had the pleasure to chat to Robert AKA Polka Dot - a Polish drag queen living in London, and co-founder of the Easten European performance & party collective Slav4U. We spoke about growing up queer in 90s and 00s Poland, Polish queer culture and nightlife, and the ongoing struggle for LGBT+ rights. Listen to find out about Polish gay anthems, queering disco polo and why Tinky Winky from Tel...

Last summer the humanitarian crisis on the Poland-Belarus border made international news. The media cycle has since moved on, but the crisis is far from over. In this episode, Ana speaks to journalist Paulina Olszanka about the human beings behind the headlines and the broader context in which the story has unfolded. Conversation recorded in January, with an updated intro. To support migrants and...

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has sent waves of fear across Europe - even more so across the East of the continent. In this episode, we speak to Maciej Baron about Poland’s response to the conflict, what the Polish left would like our Western comrades to understand, and what demands we should be organising around. Maciej Baron is a Pole who lives in the UK. He is a member of the Razem party and run...