In this video, professor Kalypso Nicolaïdis (EUI and Oxford University), together with Karolina Klimiuk and Wojciech Białożyt, presents a manifesto written especially for our unique initiative. The full text of this manifesto by prof. Nicolaïdis can also be found in the book, offering a deeper insight into the ideas behind LETS AGREE and its approach to dialogue across differences.
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In the Die Presse interview, prof. Maciej Kisilowski argues that Poland’s political crisis reflects a deeper ideological clash between liberal constitutionalism and what he calls “revolutionary conservatism.” He explains that many contemporary right-wing movements view themselves as counter-revolutionaries resisting what they perceive as the dominance of progressive norms and liberal elites, which intensifies polarization and turns elections into existential battles over national identity. In such a climate, democratic institutions can become fragile, and under certain conditions authoritarian rule is not impossible. Kisilowski therefore suggests that simply defeating a particular party is insufficient; instead, Poland needs serious constitutional redesign and institutional innovation capable of stabilizing democracy in a deeply divided society.
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In their Project Syndicate essay, Anna Wojciuk and Maciej Kisilowski explore how deeply polarized societies can rebuild trust and democratic resilience. Using Poland and Slovakia as case studies, they contend that populism thrives not merely on economic grievances but on unresolved cultural and institutional divides. The authors propose a model of national reconciliation grounded in constitutional power sharing and decentralization, inspired by the cross-partisan Let’s Agree on Poland project. For the United States and its allies, they argue, supporting such democratic renewal abroad could also hold lessons for healing polarization at home.
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In Democratic Lessons from the EU, Maciej Kisilowski and Wojciech Przybylski explore what Europe’s decision-making structures can teach national democracies. Observing how the EU manages deep political diversity, they argue that Poland’s highly centralized system fuels a destructive winner-take-all dynamic. Their proposal—rooted in the experience of the Social Contract Incubator—adapts EU mechanisms like the European Council and Council of the EU to Poland’s constitutional framework. A new Senate of regional governors and local “mayor-senators” would anchor judicial appointments and policy in stable, cross-ideological institutions. The piece reframes decentralization not as fragmentation, but as a design principle for coexistence in polarized societies.
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In conversation with The Review of Democracy, Maciej Kisilowski reflects on Poland’s political crossroads following the 2025 presidential election. Building on insights from the Let’s Agree on Poland project, he outlines why attempts to simply “restore” the pre-2015 constitutional order are bound to fail. Instead, he proposes a pragmatic, contractarian vision: decentralization of power, regional participation in judicial appointments, and a reimagined Senate representing governors and mayors. This constitutional framework, he argues, could transform Poland’s polarized democracy into one capable of coexistence rather than confrontation.
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In their Verfassungsblog article A Constitutional Settlement Is Poland’s Only Hope, Anna Wojciuk and Maciej Kisilowski reflect on the country’s post-election landscape. The narrow victory of the ultra-conservative Karol Nawrocki, they write, ended the illusion that Poland could simply “restore” its pre-2015 constitutional order. Instead, they propose a contractarian reform built on decentralization and cross-ideological power-sharing: a re-designed Senate of governors and mayors, locally endorsed judges, and vertical checks that transform zero-sum battles into cooperative governance. Their argument is both diagnostic and forward-looking—acknowledging that only a negotiated settlement, not partisan triumph, can make Polish democracy resilient again.
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CEU Rector Shalini Randeria interviews Maciej Kisilowski on Poland’s surprise opposition victory, what drove it, and why triumphalism is risky. The conversation dissects Poland’s durable East–West and urban–rural divides, the distinct behavior of young voters, and the difference between illiberal authoritarians and hard-right actors who still accept electoral rules. Kisilowski sketches a contractarian, decentralized reform agenda—shifting power to regions and cities—to make pluralism governable and reduce incentives to rig the center. He cautions that declining religiosity won’t dissolve the right; it may re-emerge as a libertarian “Darwinian” right. The takeaway: rebuild institutions to sustain democracy through difference, not despite it.
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