Liberte

Liberte! is a magazine created by young people in Łódź in 2008. Its mission is to promote an open society, liberal economic ideas and liberal culture and to organize a social movement around these ideas.
Liberte! cooperates with well-known institutions such as Batory Foundations, Naumann Foundation, Polish Confederation of Private Employers Lewiatan as well as Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. Up to now 10 issues of the magazine were printed, the on-line version is available both in Polish and in English.
Liberte! is not only a magazine, it is also an institution which organizes numerous events such as conferences (for example the conference ‘What capitalism after the crisis?’ in cooperation with Lewiatan) or debates. It provides patronage over many important events, such as the 20th Economic Forum in Krynica.

Politics, Society

Hatred Is a Double-Edged Sword: Interview with Professor Tomasz Nalecz

BY Tomasz Nalecz, Mikolaj Mirowski AND Liberte / July 14, 2016

Currently, we have completely different social stratification and the term “working class” is very obsolete. When we look at the rebellions in the times of the Polish People\'s Republic, the years 1956, 1970 and 1976 are protests of the workers. But 1980 was such an immense threat because then the energy of the workers coincided with the energy of the intelligentsia.

Politics, Society

Political Mainstream Nationalized

BY Lukasz Jurczyszyn AND Liberte / July 14, 2016

Nowadays, caring only about national interests, sovereignty of the one and only Homeland, hostility towards other nations, all become the defining features of a “European” attitude. This is also why xenophobia comes into the light, encouraging many people of a similar mono-ethnicly or mono-ethnic mindset to do the same.

Politics

Welcome to Habana, Señor Obama

BY Magdalena Melnyk AND Liberte / April 5, 2016

When Barack Obama landed at the airport in Havana, he not only did symbolicly end the period of cold war between the two countries, but has also very clearly shown what are the main objectives of his foreign policy. The presidential visit is the high point of the ongoing for a year US-Cuba relations which have been reinstated in December 2014.

Politics

Three Months after the Victory of Law and Justice

BY Marcin Celinski AND Liberte / February 18, 2016

Due to the lack of a two-third majority which would enable Law and Justice to change the Constitution officially and to implement the ideas similar to those of Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban, the governing party is often hovering on the edge of breaching the Constitution.

Economy

Bad Deal

BY Piotr Beniuszys AND Liberte / February 17, 2016

It really is a pity that the politicians currently governing Poland do not concern themselves with the negative demographic trends. It is even more sad that they do not care about the future of Polish pension system and public finance system.

Politics

Exaggerated Resistance to Mutual Recognition of National Standards May Kill TTIP

BY Marcin Swiecicki AND Liberte / February 13, 2016

During the last fifty years, the United States and the EU countries have developed very high, though different, consumers protection standards. A free trade agreement based on the unification of standards will be unrealistic. Ideas of functional equivalents and/or mutual recognition of national standards is the best recipe.

Politics, Society

Why Do I Care About How Poland Is Perceived Abroad?

BY Tomasz Kaminski AND Liberte / February 9, 2016

Whether we like it or not, getting closer to Budapest means not only drifting away from Berlin and Brussels, but also from Washington. The political position of Poland in the world states its power in Europe. But a strong position in Europe shouldn’t be built in a way that the Law and Justice does it. In such way, you can only lose this position.

Politics

It Would Be Funny If It Wasn’t Really Happening

BY Marcin Celinski AND Liberte / February 9, 2016

It would all be amusing, if it wasn\'t really happening. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Republic of Poland acts as if he was a live advertisement of some tv program or a publishing house famous for Polish jokes. Because could there even be another, more rational explanation to that?

Politics

Germany, Keep Silent

BY Piotr Beniuszys AND Liberte / January 23, 2016

The sphere of entitlement and privileges of authorities and the sphere of rights and freedoms of citizens form a relationship which is characterised by inevitable and perpetual tensions. Every political system – may it be liberalism or democracy – works the same way.

Politics

Safety Nets for Poland: Donald Tusk and European Commission

BY Tomasz Kaminski AND Liberte / January 21, 2016

With the president who is not willing to perform his duties as the guardian of the Constitution, it seems that it is thanks to the EU membership that there is still a kind of a safety net for Poland. Joining the EU back in 2004 now, in the light of the government that has set out to question the basic principles of European democracy, may prove a real lifesaver.