This dissertation has undertaken an exploration of the development of Polish politics in light of the constitution, democratic separation of powers, and notions of remembrance, reaching to ascertain the extent of an international institutional response to a domestic constitutional issue. Beginning with Polish political development since the 1990’s, this work observes the enigmatic and troubled political landscape of post-communist Poland as containing the roots of the contemporary crisis. In combination with this, EU integration and the continued growth of multidimensional global networks had presented an ample opportunity for populist Eurosceptics to seize historical narratives, loosening of horizontal accountability. Ultimately, the work presents the EU response as mixed, but understandably so in light of the complexity of domestic circumstances that suggest the metrics of success for the EU response are not easily measured. The argument pervading this research is such that the EU has utilised a flexible approach, firstly beginning with a dialogue based on some cross functional alignment across its institutions, only to ramp up its punitive measures in the form of the withholding of funds until a compromise is reached. Despite the strict financial penalties of recent years, the crisis is ongoing, hence why this research has gone to great lengths to construct a depiction both accurate to its roots and comprehensive in its current portrayal.
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