Populism at the Ballot Box: The Case of the Polish Presidential Elections

The task of this text is threefold. First, in reference to the recent presidential elections in Poland, I would like to analyse the operation of “populist reason” in practice, using Poland as an example. Here I ask: what determines success or failure in presidential elections? Second, using this case, I would like to consider the “Polish populist reason”, which to some extent determines politics in Poland. What constitutes the differencia specifica of the Polish political situation? What are the exponents and limitations of populist strategy in Poland? Third, and finally, after demonstrating the Polish example, I attempt to rethink the very concept of populism. I argue that it is a mistake to limit this concept to formal procedures, for example, the antagonism between the “pure people” and the “corrupt elites” or the “ordinary people” and the “mindless and insensitive system”, or “democratic demands”—easily reconcilable with the logic of democracy, and “total demands” destructive of the liberal order.