Polish Elections: EU and pro-democracy path at stake

With Polish citizens due to head to the polls to vote in the country's national elections on Sunday (15 October), this week Euractiv’s Beyond the Byline podcast is exploring what is at stake in the vote.

The incumbent Law and Justice party (PiS), in power since 2015, has introduced divisive reforms including massive restrictions on women's reproductive rights and a more autonomous stance towards EU policy.

Ongoing scandals, like the visa controversy, could affect the elections, with concerns over media bias and censorship complicating the electoral atmosphere. The outcome could lead to a coalition government or political instability, shaping Poland's uncertain political future.

We spoke with Aleks Szczerbiak, a politics professor and Polish specialist at the University of Sussex, and Sonia Horonziak, political scientist and coordinator of the Democracy and Civil Society Programme.