Populism and the Polish State

In: Socialist review: SR, Band 20, Heft 2, S. 80-101

Abstract

A historical inquiry into the sources of contemporary Polish populism, drawing on anthropological fieldwork conducted in 1978/79. Since the late nineteenth century the Polish populist movement has been anticommunist, anticapitalist, antistate, & oriented toward preservation of traditional modes of production & lifestyles, failing to recognize the significance of stratification among peasants. Socialist land reform in the post-WWII period did not address persisting inequalities; capitalization of farming & pauperization of large numbers of peasants were complicated with the interference of local party bureaucracies. The newly constituted Polish Peasant Party (1989) opposes socialism & emphasizes agrarianism & Christian moral principles. The contemporary reinvention of tradition among rural inhabitants owes its popularity to their presumed independence from the state & corporate influence. It is argued that as soon as other social groups realize that they have no more control over their life than under state socialism, populist ideologies will start to fade. 17 References. A. Devic