“The Oxford Handbook of Polish Politics,” published in December by Oxford University Press, contains a chapter contributed by Krzysztof Jasiewicz, William P. Ames Jr. Professor of Sociology and Anthropology Emeritus at Washington and Lee University.
Entitled “The Round Table Accord and Elections of 1989: The Foundation Myth That Faded Away,” the Jasiewicz-authored chapter appears in the second section of the publication, titled “Past and Present.” Jasiewicz examines the final phase of the dismantling of Eastern Europe’s communist regime by analyzing the Round Table Accord, the June almostfree elections and the formation of Poland’s first post-communist government in 1989.
He investigates the perspectives and roles of principal participants in Poland’s negotiated transition to democracy, which included the dominating officials, the resistance led by the Solidarity movement and the Polish Catholic Church. Additionally, the chapter studies the distinctive arrangement of Poland’s electoral system during this era, along with the immediate political consequences of Solidarity’s victory. Jasiewicz’s contribution concludes by reflecting on the symbolic importance of these events, ultimately acknowledging the unfulfilled potential of Poland’s broader transitionary promise.
Jasiewicz retired from W&L in July 2024 but remains an active scholar, teaching courses on European politics and society, post-communist transformations, Central European societies and various research methods.
