On October 15, all eyes will be on Poland as the country holds critical parliamentary elections. The months leading up to this event have seen a fiercely contested campaign, with an opposition bloc, led by the centrist Civic Coalition, attempting to prevent the ruling rightwing coalition, led by the Law and Justice party, from winning a third term in office. While the outcome of the race remains highly uncertain, its potential implications are profound, with some going so far as to claim that the future of Polish democracy itself is on the line. However, the implications of the election are also likely to extend beyond Poland, affecting political dynamics within the European Union and Poland’s broader role on the international stage. On this Episode of Brussels Sprouts Dan Kelemen and Michal Baranowski join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss the high stakes of next week’s outcome in Poland.

R. Daniel Kelemen is the McCourt Chair at the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University. His research interests include the politics and law of the European Union, comparative politics and law, and comparative public policy.

Michal Baranowski is a managing director at the German Marshall Fund, where he provides overall strategic direction and leadership for the organization’s work in Poland, the Baltic states, and the Visegrad 4 countries