Summary of the National Academic Conference on the Presidency of the Republic of Poland - an interdisciplinary perspective on elections and the political system.
13 May an All-Poland Academic Conference devoted to the institution of the President of the Republic of Poland was held. The event brought together a wide range of experts - from constitutionalists to political scientists and public life practitioners - who jointly discussed the subject of presidential elections, election campaigns and the systemic role of the head of state. The conference was organised by Centre for Constitutional Law and Rule of Law Monitoring in cooperation with College of Advanced Vocational Training in Wrocław, and was moderated by Dr Kamil Stępniak, President of the Centre.
The meeting provided an important space for the exchange of views and interdisciplinary reflection on the current and future shape of the presidency in Poland. Changes in law, technology and society that affect the functioning of the presidential office and the transparency of electoral processes were discussed.
Law.co.uk has published an article on the conference we are organising, which addresses, among other things, the legal regulation of the use of AI and deep fakes in election campaigns: see material.
Experts and speaking topics - the voice of the speakers on modern challenges of the presidency
Recognised specialists representing various fields of knowledge spoke at the conference:
- Anna Bigaj from the University of Gdansk, focused on the role of new technologies in ensuring the transparency and legitimacy of presidential campaigns. She drew attention to the limited use of tools such as e-ID or trusted profile in the context of elections, pointing to the need to build public trust and advanced safeguards. She also touched on the controversy surrounding online voting (iVoting), which still raises many doubts in Poland.
- Karolina Wilamowska, a lawyer and mediator, presented the impact of artificial intelligence on election campaigns. She pointed out serious risks such as microtargeting, deepfakes, fake accounts and bots amplifying political messages. She emphasised that AI enables the creation of real-time messages, which, on the one hand, increases the effectiveness of communication and, on the other, raises the risk of manipulating public opinion.
- Dr Damian Wąsik from the Higher School of Vocational Training in Wrocław, presented the subject of the criminal law protection of presidential elections. He presented historical examples of fraud from the period of the Second Republic, emphasising how important it is to counteract all attempts to influence the integrity of the electoral process, regardless of the era.
- Dr Malgorzata Andrzejczak-Swiątek from the Police Academy in Szczytno discussed the international context of election monitoring, citing the OSCE ODiHR report on the 2020 presidential election in Poland. She highlighted the role of international institutions in assessing democratic standards and the rule of law.
Acknowledgements and closing thoughts
We would like to thank all the speakers, participants and those involved in the organisation of the conference for creating a space for robust, substantive discussion. The event should undoubtedly be regarded as successful - both in terms of attendance and the level of the papers delivered. We believe that the topics raised will inspire further research and initiatives devoted to the development of the democratic system in Poland.