Noah Feldman, Columnist

Poland Is Testing the EU's Commitment to Democracy

The far-right government joins Hungary and Turkey in rolling back political liberalization.

May 23, 2016 at 3:56 PM UTC

Noah Feldman is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. A professor of law at Harvard University, he is author, most recently, of “To Be a Jew Today: A New Guide to God, Israel, and the Jewish People."

Tightening his grip.
Photographer: Janek Skarzynski/AFP/Getty Images

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At the moment, Europe’s attention is focused on Austria’s presidential election, where a far-rightist was defeated by a razor-thin margin on Monday. But in Poland, where I spent the last several days, the consequences of a far-right government can already be felt. The European Union has given the ruling Law and Justice Party, known as PiS, until Monday to repeal its effort to hamstring Poland’s constitutional court. PiS has answered with a resounding “No.” A full-blown domestic constitutional crisis is brewing, which could have major implications for democracy in Europe.

QuickTake Poland’s Populist Turn