Discussion Evening: „Poland After the Parliamentary Elections: How Can the Rule of Law Be Restored?“
Discussion Evening: „Poland After the Parliamentary Elections: How Can the Rule of Law Be Restored?“
Following the end of the right-wing conservative PiS government in Poland, which for years undermined the rule of law in the country, Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s new governing coalition faces the challenge of restoring the independence of the judiciary. How, and by what means, can this transformation be achieved in accordance with the rule of law? What role do the media and civil society initiatives play?
With an eye toward the resilience of the rule of law, we also draw a parallel with Germany: What can we learn from developments in Poland? And what dangers and opportunities can be identified for democracy and the rule of law in politically turbulent times?
The Forum Recht Foundation, the New Judges’ Association (e.V.), and the German-Polish Judges’ Association (e.V.) cordially invite you to an evening discussion in Leipzig, where we will work together to explore ways and means of promoting an independent judiciary in Poland and, beyond that, throughout Europe. Speakers include:
- Viktoria Großmann, Süddeutsche Zeitung correspondent in Warsaw
- Thomas Guddat, judge at the Dresden Labor Court and president of the German-Polish Judges' Association e.V.
- Bastian Sendhardt, political scientist, German Institute for Polish Studies
The discussion will be moderated by lawyer and journalist Susann Böttcher (MDR). We are also pleased that Mathias Weilandt, State Secretary at the Saxon State Ministry of Justice and for Democracy, Europe, and Equality, will deliver a welcoming address. The event is being held in cooperation with the Neue Richtervereinigung e.V. and the German-Polish Judges’ Association e.V.
The event will also be livestreamed: https://stiftung-forum-recht.de/themen/ausstellung-sprawiedliwosc/
In cooperation with the Neue Richtervereinigung e.V. (neuerichter.de) and the German-Polish Judges' Association (dprv.eu)
The event is part of the accompanying program of the photo exhibition SPRAWIEDLIWOŚĆ - GERECHTIGKEIT, which the Stiftung Forum Recht is showing in cooperation with Fundacja Picture Doc in Karlsruhe from 16 February to 7 April 2024.
What happens when politics undermines the rule of law? With the documentary photo exhibition SPRAWIEDLIWOŚĆ – GERECHTIGKEIT, the Forum Recht Foundation in Karlsruhe will showcase, from February 16 through April 7, 2024, how judges, prosecutors, and attorneys in Poland helped preserve their country from the collapse of the rule of law. To this end, the renowned Polish photographer Piotr Wójcik (Fundacja Picture Doc) photographed people from various legal professions between 2020 and 2021 who, due to their perseverance and commitment to an independent judiciary, faced the threat of repression by Poland’s recently ousted right-wing conservative government.
In addition to the 32 photographs on display and the accompanying explanatory texts, visitors can also read numerous quotes from the subjects of the portraits, who have championed the rule of law in an inspiring way through their personal and professional steadfastness. At the Leipzig location, selected works are on view in an accompanying window display.