Paper short abstract:

This paper explores the role of the women-centered initiatives in the local elections in Poland (November 2018). Through an ethnographic exploration and discourse analysis, the author aims at tracing the populist aspects of political initiatives connected to nationwide women's strike.

Paper long abstract:

Poland is currently facing a democratic backsliding - ruled by an authoritarian, populist party (Prawo i Sprawiedliwość) that is presenting itself as the voice of "the People". This populist approach is nothing new in polish politics - as Juraj Buzalka claims - polish politics was always populist. This approach is not unique for the ruling party and seems to be a common strategy to win the elections.

The women's marches triggered by the attempt to make anti-abortion law stricter try to change the status quo and redefine the current politics by collective actions, which may lead to a new political order in Poland. Activists of the marches became a visible political force that plays an active role as non-parliamentary opposition and formed civic committees that run in the local elections. Though grassroots approach and a-political self-definition of some of the activists the movement, a populist narration remains dominant for those committees during the electoral campaign.

The paper is based on the discourse analysis of the content produced by those committees during and after the campaign and aims at exploring the role of the populist narrations in constituting the political agenda. It also examines the possibility of remolding social movement to political parties and the possibility of having a women-centered populism as a counterforce to currently ruling party, Prawo i Sprawiedliwość.