Finding the roots of neo-traditionalist populism in Poland: ‘Cultural displacement’ and European integration

Abstract

This article investigates the roots of populism in Poland in its current traditionalist-conservative fashion. In contrast with the liberal hegemony and, more specifically, with its ‘true European values’, right-wing populists in Poland claim to speak in the name of those people who refuse this external system of values and who experienced a ‘cultural displacement’. The article examines whether the consensual process of European Union (EU) integration has created room for a populist moment. Particular emphasis is given to the importance of culture in the construction of an alternative neo-traditionalist project. While the post-structuralist literature on populism has mostly focused on Western Europe and socio-economic demands, the concept of neo-traditionalism reveals the confrontation between two different blocs also in Central-Eastern Europe. The author analyses the neo-traditionalist discourse in Poland, most notably produced by the conservative party Prawo i Sprawiedliwość (PiS), as a counter-hegemonic project. Opposing mainstream EU values, PiS appealed to ‘ordinary Poles’ and adopted a traditionalist-conservative narrative. The article will show how the neglect of a neo-traditionalist world view by the European elite and the threat to identity posed by liberal and individualistic values have been exploited by right-wing populists to forge a new common sense.

Anti-colonial neo-traditionalism in Central-Eastern Europe: A theoretical examination

“…In this sense, the novel experience of liberal values and the disruption of old communities (religious or national) produced a loss of ontological security (Benczes et al, 2022). The rapid post-1989 developments and the success of the liberal worldview were perceived by a section of the Central-Eastern Europe society as both impositions of a foreign entity and a cultural displacement (Melito, 2021). From this perspective, applying the category of ‘neo-traditionalist’ to illiberal actors from Central-Eastern Europe results plausible.…”

“…Several recent studies have dealt with the importance of cultural factors in sustaining populist and illiberal narratives, and they highlight the role of culture in grassroots mobilization (Aslanidis, 2020; Volk, 2022) or the cultural divide between traditionalist and liberal-progressive values (Bornschier, 2010; Rensmann, 2017), which sometimes mirrors the conflict of values between the conservative governments of Central-Eastern Europe and the liberal project of the European Union (Furedi, 2018; Melito, 2021). These works show how the shift toward illiberalism is often legitimized by cultural factors.…”