ABSTRACT
The transition from a communist to a democratic political order signifies the rediscovery of “normal politics” in the life of Poland. Pluralist theories of democracy define politics as interactions among a multiplicity of groups formed around diverse, fragmented, and overlapping interests. The identity of interests and the rules of competition are fundamental to the successful integration of the political system. The political structure of transitional Poland is divided between the dominant world of the Solidarity and post-Solidarity organizations and the subordinate but numerous “extraparliamentary” parties. The propensity toward moralistic politics was further accentuated by the rise of the opposition to the communist state and the identification of that opposition with the Solidarity movement. During the period of real socialism, the distinction was far less significant than during the transition phase. The primary task for the formation of a fully developed pluralist system was to move beyond a political structure embossed in normative visions.
