Today is Constitution Day in Poland, but in my opinion there is not much to celebrate. I'll tell you why. 

Constitution day is an important national and public holiday that celebrates the adoption of the first Polish constitution on the 3rd of May 1791. It was also (one of) the first constitutions of its kind in Europe and contained many progressive ideas based on Enlightenment thought that profoundly changed European politics, such as the French revolution going on at that same moment. 

The Polish people couldn't enjoy the constitution very long as Poland was partitioned and controlled by foreign powers for over a century. During these times the constitution served as a symbol of hope for Polish independence. When Poland gained independence after World War 1, Constitution day was officially celebrated for the first time. However, it was subsequently banned when Poland was yet controlled by a foreign Power, the Soviet Union, during the Cold War. In 1990 the new Polish republic reinstated Constitution day and it's celebrated widely in Poland. 

However, in my opinion there is not much to celebrate. Over the past 5 years especially Poland's democracy has been in decline. In fact, it's one of the fastest 'autocratizing' countries in Europe. It has dropped many places on the democracy index, the human rights index and the world press freedom index. 

The current right-wing government led by PiS has increasingly tightened its grip on the country. State media are controlled by the government and de facto PiS propaganda, there is not a clear separation of powers anymore as PiS can appoint and fire judges and the rights of women and LGBTQI+ people are under pressure. 

I hope that in the future Poland can celebrate constitution day with pride in a fully fledged democracy guaranteeing equal rights for everyone.  

Originally posted on Instagram on May 3, 2021