President Joe Biden's visit to Poland as his final stop in Europe this week offers a chance to underscore U.S. commitment to protect a key NATO member on Ukraine's doorstep, and thank Poles for their generous welcome to refugees fleeing Russia's invasion.
But Poland is also a complicated ally whose populist leaders are accused by some European partners of riding roughshod over democratic norms, and many liberal Poles will be seeking a sign that the U.S. remembers its role in promoting democracy.
Polish assistance to Ukrainians has won praise near and far. Not only have shelters and schools opened their doors to refugees, with 90,000 children registering to attend classes, but many regular Poles have welcomed Ukrainians into their homes. In some cases they're taking in friends, in others complete strangers.
The European Union has accused Poland's government since it took power in 2015 of eroding judicial independence, viewed as an attack on the 27-member bloc's fundamental democratic values. Recently the EU withheld millions of euros from a pandemic recovery fund from Warsaw, seeking to use the money as leverage for change.
In 2020, the U.S.-based group Freedom House said Poland no longer qualifies as a"consolidated democracy," and had slipped to the rank of a"semi-consolidated democracy." The government strongly denies that its behavior has been undemocratic, noting that it keeps winning elections and arguing that it is trying to reform a corrupt, inefficient court system.
Duda was among a handful of leaders, among them Russia's President Vladimir Putin, who waited weeks before congratulating Biden after he won the 2020 election, taking a wait-and-see approach as Trump refused to accept his defeat.
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