Poland’s civic space has opened up considerably since the change of government in late 2023. This report looks at 2025–2026 and finds that the pressure independent organisations faced in earlier years has largely stopped. Government rhetoric no longer stigmatises CSOs, loyal organisations are no longer favoured, public funding is more transparent, and civic groups can criticise, campaign and protest freely.
The progress still rests more on political will than on lasting guarantees, though. Many reform pledges are unfulfilled, and the Minister for Civil Society post was abolished in 2025. Consultations are often late or tokenistic, especially on migration, and access to public information is still patchy. Many organisations remain financially fragile. Groups working on migration, LGBTQI+ and reproductive rights are the most exposed, now mainly to hostility from opposition politicians and partisan media.