Institute of Public Affairs - IPA

27/08/2026

There are many ways to mark the end of the summer holidays—especially when there is a milestone anniversary to celebrate.
This year marks the 35th anniversary of the founding of the Weimar Triangle. While the format is relatively well known in Poland, awareness declines the further west we go. Yet the idea of trilateral cooperation enjoys the support of a clear majority of Poles, Germans and French people.
How do we know? From the latest public opinion survey conducted in Poland, Germany and France by Ipsos Polska in cooperation with and with the financial support of Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Warszawa
Today, we are unveiling the first set of findings and invite you to read the report prepared by Małgorzata Kopka. More results—including data on perceptions of security threats and the situation arising from Russia’s aggression—will follow soon.

Link to the publication in the comment

25/06/2026

Joint Statement by Polish and Ukrainian Organizations and Civil Society Activists

The Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights initiated a joint statement emphasizing the enduring nature of cooperation between Polish and Ukrainian civil society. The declaration was signed by over 130 civil society organizations, civic initiatives, and individuals involved in public life from Poland and Ukraine.

Joint Statement by Polish and Ukrainian Organizations and Civil Society Activists:

Cooperation between Polish and Ukrainian civil society has been growing steadily for many decades now.

We assure you that recent political events will neither interrupt nor weaken this cooperation.

Our friendship endures and only grows stronger in the face of Russian aggression and thanks to the heroic struggle of the Ukrainian people, “for your freedom and ours.”

Together, we have worked, we are working, and we will continue to work for an independent, secure, democratic, and befriended Ukraine and Poland, where human rights and freedoms are respected.

A complete list of civil society organizations, civic initiatives, and individuals involved in public life from Poland and Ukraine who have signed the statement: https://www.isp.org.pl/pl/aktualnosci/wspolne-oswiadczenie-polskich-i-ukrainskich-organizacji-dzialaczy-i-dzialaczek-spolecznych

24/06/2026

Can art strengthen democracy?

In an era of growing polarization, declining public trust, and diminishing civic engagement, the question of the role of culture and art in building democratic societies is being raised more and more often. Can artistic activities encourage participation in public life? Do local cultural initiatives help strengthen social bonds and the resilience of communities?

These were the main topics of the international conference “From Stage to State: The Role of Art in Shaping Democratic Spaces,” which took place in Kraków. Representatives of the Institute of Public Affairs participated in the event: Dr. Kacper Dziekan, Dr. Sonia Horonziak, and Dr. Grzegorz Makowski. The conference is part of the “Democracy in Action” project, carried out under the Horizon Europe program.

Within the project, ISP is responsible for developing research tools to measure the impact of artistic and cultural activities on civic engagement and the functioning of democracy. The research conducted as part of the project aims to provide a better understanding of when and how culture becomes a space for dialogue, participation, and shared responsibility for public affairs.

Photo: Łukasz Zając

19/05/2026

How are social norms and values transmitted across generations — and how do they shape the rule of law?

In the second episode of NET-ROL Voices, Kacper Dziekan, PhD (Institute of Public Affairs) speaks with Stefan Voigt (University of Hamburg), who leads research on rule of law, social norms, and values within the project.

The conversation focuses on an original research approach based on the analysis of over 27,000 fairy tales and folktales from 172 countries. The project examines how narratives transmit moral messages, cultural norms, and patterns of behaviour across societies. The episode explores how these historically embedded values relate to contemporary outcomes, including economic development and the functioning of the rule of law, as well as how variation across regions can be interpreted in light of cultural, institutional, and historical factors.

Full episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/76jFNX0dctLMu8d6rjrIUC?

04/05/2026

🤝 Strengthening Our Partnership: Scott Bates and Zuzana Papazoski Visit ISP

Today, the Institute of Public Affairs (ISP) was delighted to welcome a delegation from the National Democratic Institute. We hosted Scott Bates, Regional Director for Europe and Eurasia, and Zuzana Papazoski, Resident Senior Director for Central Europe.

This meeting was a perfect blend of new and long-standing connections: it was Scott’s first visit to the ISP office, and a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with our dear friend Zuzana, with whom we have worked closely for many years. For over two decades, ISP and NDI have partnered to strengthen civil society in Central Europe, most recently through our joint project “Promoting Citizen Engagement in Political Processes in Hungary and Poland” (2023–2025).

ISP President Dr. Jacek Kucharczyk joined our guests to discuss several critical issues:

🔹 Strategic Outlook: NDI’s future initiatives in the region against the backdrop of shifting political landscapes in Central and Eastern Europe and the U.S.
🔹 Combating Disinformation: We identified disinformation as a primary threat to democratic stability, particularly concerning Polish-Ukrainian relations, migration, and climate change. We emphasized the need for cross-border cooperation to counter these challenges.
🔹 Polish-Ukrainian Civil Society: The vital importance of supporting cooperation between think tanks and NGOs from both Poland and Ukraine.
🔹 Democracy in Hungary: Lessons learned from Poland’s post-2023 experiences and how they can support the rebuilding of democratic institutions in Hungary.

We look forward to many more years of successful collaboration! 🌍🇪🇺🇺🇸

23/04/2026

🎓 International Summer School: Feminist Futures for Foreign Policy

Our partners in Prague invite applications for an international summer school focused on feminist approaches to foreign policy.

The programme will take place 8–12 September 2026 in Prague and is aimed at MA/PhD students, early-career researchers, and practitioners from Poland and across Central Europe.

The programme includes:
• feminist foreign policy analysis
• decolonial and intersectional approaches
• the Women, Peace and Security agenda
• policy-writing workshops and exchanges with experts

Participation costs (accommodation, meals, and travel) are covered by the organisers.

📅 Application deadline: 31 May 2026

More details and how to apply:

The Prague office of the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung is cordially inviting students, young researchers and practitioners from Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary and Poland to participate in this year's International Summer School “Feminist Futures for Foreign Policy”.

01/04/2026

The Institute of Public Affairs is a partner in the international research project NET-ROL, implemented under the Horizon Europe programme.

The project examines the rule of law as a phenomenon shaped not only by formal institutions, but also by networks of interaction among social, political and economic actors, as well as by norms and values influencing how institutions function in practice. Its aim is to better understand how these factors translate into socio-economic outcomes.

One of the project’s communication formats is the podcast series NET-ROL Voices, in which project experts present its conceptual foundations and research directions.

In the first episode, hosted by Kacper Dziekan (Institute of Public Affairs), Nadia von Jacobi (University of Trento) discusses the project’s analytical framework and how it connects perspectives from law, economics and political science.

🎧 The podcast is available on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/episode/5Mzib2Yu2KWBHI0bOXv0Op?si=D5diduMTRKCNEORVZlh2qQ

more about the project: https://www.net-rol.eu/

25/03/2026

On March 16–17, we were in Sarajevo participating in a digital security workshop organized by our partner organization, Belgrade Centre for Security Policy Bezbednost.org. Local cybersecurity experts are strengthening the digital resilience of the third sector by sharing good practices and demonstrating useful tools. We’re benefiting from this as well!

04/03/2026

In a world of escalating armed conflicts, what role should Europe take to prevent further ones?

Dr. Sonia HoronziakSonia Horonziak, Director of our Democracy and Civil Society Program, is currently in Taiwan as part of the Taiwan-US-Europe Policy Program (TUPP), organized by the The German Marshall Fund of the United States.

The goal of this program is to deepen understanding of Taiwan among future socio-political leaders and to strengthen cross-national exchange and advocacy for closer cooperation between Europe, the United States, and a democratic Taiwan.

Taiwan currently faces numerous challenges to its security, both military and information. As the world's largest producer of semiconductors and chips, which are found in most of our devices, Taiwan is a significant player in the global economic arena, and destabilizing peace in its region would impact the daily lives of most people around the world. For this reason, the strategic approach of Europe, including the EU, to cooperation with the island has recently become one of the most important challenges for European leaders.

02/03/2026

We are pleased to announce that Professor Wojciech Sadurski, Member of the Board of the Institute of Public Affairs, has been appointed as a member of the Venice Commission representing Poland for a four-year term.

The Venice Commission is the Council of Europe’s advisory body on constitutional matters and the rule of law, playing a crucial role in safeguarding democratic standards across Europe.

The substitute member has been appointed Professor Monika Florczak-Wątor (Jagiellonian University), co-author of the Institute of Public Affairs’ publication “Democracy in Poland 2024”.

Congratulations!



Photo: Wikipedia