The 16th issue of Liberte! quarterly entitled “Gdzie jest władza?” (“Where is authority?”) has been available in Empik, Relay and Inmedio news agent’s chains since 3rd January. We have increased the circulation and we hope that the new Liberte! will be received favourably! This issue is devoted to authority and democracy in the 21st century.

“These days, in the global era, the decision making process even at the top level seems to be a white water rafting ride. You can change the course, but you cannot stop altogether, nor go against the current. Too sudden a movement entails a risk of capsizing. We live in a post-democratic world. On the one hand, issues like citizens’ participation and budgeting are all the rage, on the other hand, crucial decisions – for instance, those concerning the foundations of economic policy – belong elsewhere: in the hands of world powers, major central banks, rating agencies, investment funds and countless many international organisations. The most that individual countries are able to do is to mitigate the consequences of the fact that world capital has become globalized. And if capital is global, there is in fact nobody to manage it responsibly.” I wish you all an enjoyable read. – Leszek Jażdżewski, Editor-in-Chief

The contents of this issue feature, among others, texts by:

– Prof. Jan Barcz on authority in the eurozone,

– Giulio Ercolessi on geopolitical charades in the Vatican,

– Tomasz Kamiński, Ph.D. on the twilight of nation states,

– Aleksandra Kaniewska, who asks whether the Beijing Consensus will supersede the Washington Consensus,

– Marcin Celiński on authority and The Godfather,

– Agnieszka Zakrzewicz on God’s bankers,

– Prof. Ryszard Machnikowski on how powerful interviews are,

– Piotr Beniuszys on how democracy has degenerated,

– and also the transcription of an interview with Adam Michnik „Polska Dialogu”.

All this and much more in the latest issue of Liberte! We do hope you will enjoy it!

Translation: Katarzyna Różańska