Poles across the political spectrum agree on their country's most pressing problems but overwhelmingly feel their society is bitterly divided, according to a report presented Monday at the Re_Mind congress in Wrocław.
The "State of Polarization 2026" study, conducted in May by the New Community Foundation and SWPS University on a nationally representative sample of more than 2,000 adults, found that voters of the ruling Civic Coalition and the opposition Law and Justice party share the same four top concerns: access to doctors and hospitals, rising cost of living, wage levels, and the threat from Russia.
Yet 69 percent of respondents said they believe ideological differences in Poland are enormous, and 66 percent said they perceive widespread hostility around them.
"Although we often say that Poland is deeply polarized, our research shows a more complex picture. In many important matters, we hold similar views. It appears we have more in common than we think — and yet we feel strongly divided. We are tired of it, troubled by it, and we wish it were otherwise", said co-author Dr. Olga Białobrzeska of SWPS University and the New Community Foundation.
Among 13 policy areas examined, none showed extreme ideological polarization. The sharpest disagreements centered on abortion, yet even there, 40 percent of respondents did not hold a radical position. On the fairness of elections, half of those surveyed declined to choose either of the two firm answers.
The study distinguished between ideological polarization — differences in actual beliefs — and affective polarization, which measures emotional attitudes toward those who think differently. On that front, the findings were starker: 60 percent of respondents reported negative feelings, to varying degrees, toward people with different political views, and one in five expressed strong aversion.
That emotional distance shapes everyday life. Only one in four Poles said they would be willing to befriend someone with opposing views, and just one in three said they would work professionally with such a person. Half of respondents said the perceived national divide causes them stress, and every second person said they avoid discussing politics with friends, family, or online to sidestep conflict.
Sixty-eight percent of respondents said politicians should work to reduce social tensions, saying the current climate damages cooperation and erodes social cohesion.
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Source: PAP