Workshop: Poland, EU Accession and the Clash of Constitutionalisms, 10.04.2025

We would like to invite you to take part in the workshop on Poland, EU Accession and the Clash of Constitutionalisms. 

Speaker: Ewa Karolina Garbarz, PhD Candidate in EU Law, University of Leicester

Place: Faculty of Humanities, NCU, room 206.

Time: 10.04.2025; 9:45.

Workshop: Poland, EU Accession and the Clash of Constitutionalisms

This workshop will delve into the complexities of constitutionalism in Poland. It aims to explore the various factors influencing the evolution of Polish constitutionalism, the clash of competing constitutionalisms, and the resulting implications for the rule of law in the country.

Using Poland as a case study, the workshop will examine the historical and contemporary influences that have shaped its constitutional landscape. Participants will gain insights into the legacy of the communist regime, the impact of decommunisation measures, and of the legal transitions required for EU accession. It will discuss how the limited scope of judicial review and a focus on procedural rather than substantive control have contributed to what can been characterized as "thin constitutionalism" in Poland.

The workshop will tackle issues of the clash between Poland’s constitutional identity and the evolving constitutional standards set by the European Union, leading towards and following Poland's accession to the EU, as well as the role of transitional justice in shaping national constitutionalism, with a specific focus on lustration laws and their effects on the judiciary in 1997 and 2007.