Political context of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland

Abstract

Purpose: The article presents the activity of public authorities and the opposition in Poland in the crisis situation of the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/Methodology/Approach: The text is a report that uses the tools of systemic and decision-making analysis. Findings: It confirms the precept that public and political actions and their social evaluation are determined not only by the essence of emerging challenges, but also result from conditions of place and time. Four conditions were identified as particularly important, confrontational division of society into two relatively powerful political camps, which goes beyond politics, model of the state and governance underlying the activities of the United Right in power since 2015, significant deficit of trust in those in power on the part of a large part of the society, relatively good state of the economy and the situation in the budgets of most households at the threshold of the pandemic. Practical Implications: The research findings of the report facilitate understanding of the causes and manifestations of the process by which the pandemic in Poland is being politicised. Originality Value: The resources of governance that have so far not been sufficiently utilized have also been identified. A forecast of political developments against the background of further pandemic tensions is outlined.