#LETSAGREE is a new international discussion series inspired by the book. Bringing together the authors, members of the Social Contract Incubator, and diverse voices from politics, academia, and civil society, it explores contractarian approaches to redesigning the democratic rules that shape our common future. The international discussion series, generously supported by ERSTE Stiftung, is hosted by dr. Magdalena M. Baran

A New Social Contract for a Polarized Society. Let’s Agree on Poland – What Europe Can Learn from the Polish Experience

Debate

Leiden University
7/05.2026
Moderator Anna Kowal
Speaker Prof. Karolina Pomorska
Speaker prof. ANNA WOJCIUK  
Speaker prof. Petr Kopecky

Let’s Agree on Poland: A Case Study of Constitutional Design (Oxford University Press, 2025) — a Polish constitutional bestseller, now available in English – addresses the issue of the social contract, looking at it from many perspectives, giving voice to representatives of various backgrounds and ideological circles. This approach and the adopted research method allow for finding agreement beyond divisions, for building a detailed vision of a new social contract that can be established within a divided society and is beneficial for its common functioning. Rather than striving for unattainable consensus on values, the book proposes institutions that enable cooperation across divides: robust decentralization, checks and balances that prevent domination, and fair procedures that guarantee mutual recognition. The volume itself is the outcome of a remarkable collaboration between progressives and conservatives, working together within the Social Contract Incubator, a network of 130 leading Polish intellectuals known by its Polish acronym IUS. Their joint work allows us to see how much Europe can learn today, thanks to the example of cooperation, and how much it can draw from the developed model of a new social contract.

“Let’s Agree on Poland” presents the results of the pro-bono work of the Social Contract Incubator. The #LetsAgree series and related discussions are generously supported by donors, including


CONTACT

For press inquiries, interview requests, event proposals, or general questions, please reach out to us at:

contact@ius.org.pl