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Comment by b0rsuk | Hacker News Reader

Speaking as someone who voted for Platforma once, these guys have no credibility today because they don't commit to any program and are fickle. They can't communicate what is that they're trying to do, what's their program, and have no internal consensus on any major subject. Their decisions are based on polls and what they think will get them votes. Polish parties are heavily leader-based and leaders push others around. Current leader of PO is a schemer and back room dealer with insincere smile, he knows how to stay afloat and prevent defeat but not how to win or inspire people.

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To expand on that:

Back in 2012 when ACTA was on the agenda, there were numerous popular protests against it in Poland, mostly centered around young internet users. Donald Tusk, then-Prime Minister and chief of the Platforma party, reacted with "The government won't bow down to any blackmail"[1] and reaffirmed his intent to sign the ACTA.

Thankfully a few days later he changed course and refused to sign it, as per the popular demand.

[1] "Nie wyobrażam sobie, by polski rząd ustępował przed jakimkolwiek szantażem" - https://www.wprost.pl/technologie/343029/jutro-podpiszemy-ac...

That’s how democracy is supposed to work, no?

The opposite would be the UK situation where people are slowly realizing that Brexit is a bad idea and the ruling body refuses to back down despite the popularity of the move dwindling.

Brexit is bad for me personally, but I'm sure that respecting results of a political procedures (referenda, elections) is exactly what should be done in a democracy, because not sticking to rules of the game is a direct way to destroy trust, and incentive to vote. "Diminishing support" is what often happens to very freshly elected MPs, governments, or presidents, and it doesn't cancel electoral outcomes.

While I agree from a practical governance sense, having n number of votes on the same issue is still democratic despite it being increasingly inefficient.

As is voting out leaders you don't wish to follow anymore, even immediately.

Still prefer them to PiS

The two parties are not very different. Remember they were in a ruling coalition once, and a few people moved from PO to PiS after PiS came to power.

Poland has no true left wing party anymore, and there are more extreme right voters too. Something is stirring on the right. PiS and PO are different shades of centrist I think. Especially that what PiS does and what it says are two completely different things.

Funny that you say that, because in my opinion Poland lacks the true right wing party. All major parties are left wing, with their economical programs being slight variations of socialists wealth redistribution, and government regulation of pretty much every domain of life. PiS might pretend to be patriotic and conservative but they are following Marx teaching more than God ones in many areas.

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