Introduction: A Polarized Country in Need of a New Social Contract

The Introduction demonstrates how Poland's problems with political polarization and right-wing contestation of the established constitutional order are representative of broader trends facing democracies worldwide. It discusses five leading theories that seek to explain these phenomena in a comparative context, concluding that none align well with the Polish conditions. It argues that Poland is a case of ideological polarization that does not stem from a particular crisis or dislocation, but is simply embedded in the history and culture of the nation and its geographic regions. Notably, the chapter adopts a distinctively neutral normative stance, striving to present the current democratic crisis and proposed solutions in a manner that both progressive and conservative readers will find balanced and fair.