Instrumental Approach to the Constitution of 2 April 1997 – the “Fight for the Constitution” as Political Camouflage in Axiological Disputes in Poland (2015–2021)

From the perspective of an external observer, the Polish dispute over the 1997 Constitution concerns the question of compliance with the applicable constitutional norms and more generally, the rule of law. However, looking at this dispute through the prism of axiology, it is possible to put forward the thesis that both sides of the political conflict (the government and its opposition) instrumentalised the ‘fight for the constitution’, treating it as one of the tools for achieving political goals. Those taking part in it pursued opposing political values, while the constitution itself, the rule of law and the hierarchy of legal acts were treated instrumentally. The aim of the article is to explain the sources of conflicting attitudes towards the 1997 Basic Law. The applied theoretical basis of the article and the reference point for the analysis of the conflict is the circular model of political values.

The article presents the research results concerning the attitude of Poles towards the presence of the Church in public life. The research was conducted in 2019 on a national sample size (n = 2110) based on stratified quota sampling method. The majority of the surveyed supported the division of the Church and state, at the same time accepting the presence of Christian values in the activities of state institutions. The surveyed definitely disagreed with the statement that the Church may support particular candidates in elections. The declared political preferences of the respondents proved to be significant, as well as wealth and place of residence. The supporters of the division of Church and state were more frequently respondents with leftist preferences rather than rightist, wealthier rather than poorer, and residing in cities rather than in the country.