The Changing Trajectory of the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) in Poland: From a Slow Decline in Support and Crisis to Survival and Resilience

The Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) has been active in Polish politics since 1991, initially as a coalition and subsequently as a party with post-communist origins. Despite its traditions, the party grew in strength, gaining power in the 1993 and 2001 elections. However, following the 2005 parliamentary elections, the party began to experience a slow decline in support, which culminated in 2015 when it was excluded from parliament. However, in the subsequent 2019 and 2023 elections, the party secured enough votes to return to the Sejm. This paper will analyze the reasons for the 2015 defeat, as well as the factors that contributed to the party's survival and resilience. Both external and internal variables will be considered. Noteworthy examples of the former include the electoral system, changes in the party system, and the need to compete with newly established parties. Among the latter, attention should be paid to organizational structures, membership, and the role played by party elites and leaders. The analysis will examine the extent to which party anti-crisis strategies are shaped by party elites, as well as how these strategies impact intra-party democracy. Hanley and Kopeček's (2025) concept, adapted to Polish conditions, will provide the framework for this discussion, with its four phases: crisis, adaptation, resilience, and recovery. The question remains as to whether the SLD can truly claim to have made a full recovery. While the party has regained its pre-'crisis election' position, this was only possible through cooperation with other left-wing parties.