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The report describes the current state of Polish democracy and indicates the need to take measures that meet the standards of the Council of Europe. A particularly important area is the judiciary, which is undergoing a major transformation. The dynamics of change mean that this study could not cover the most recent changes, especially those concerning the preparation of new laws, such as the law on the National Council of the Judiciary. The ongoing debate within the judicial community and the divergence of opinions regarding the shape of the draft law on the National Council of the Judiciary, which provides for the participation of neo-judges with active and passive electoral rights, makes it difficult to determine unequivocally the future legal solutions concerning the National Council of the Judiciary.

This study by the Institute of Public Affairs responds to the ten principles for democracy—the 'Reykjavik principles'. It also illustrates the process of reaching the standards set by the provisions of the Reykjavik Declaration after a long period of destruction of institutions fundamental to a democratic state. Eminent experts point to the long distance we have to travel in the recovery process. In this repair process, we must be guided by the conviction that the basis for the restoration of democracy is European cooperation and the will of the state to implement the laws and standards developed during the seventy-five years of the existence of the Council of Europe, the oldest European intergovernmental organization.