From Solidarność to the Algorithm

The Crisis of Intermediate Bodies in Poland between Trade Union Legacy and the Challenges of AI

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12797/Politeja.23.2026.102.06

Keywords:

Solidarność, trade union crisis, algorithmic governance, post-communist transition, intermediate bodies, artificial intelligence and labor, digital unionism

Abstract

From the first industrial revolution to the digital age, every transformation in production has called forth new forms of representation and new ways of safeguarding collective dignity. In Poland, this historical arc found its most powerful expression in Solidarność, a movement that was at once a trade union and a civic force, guiding the passage from authoritarian rule to democratic pluralism. Its later decline, however, exposed the fragility of intermediate bodies confronted with liberalization and rapid systemic upheaval. At this historical juncture, the spread of artificial intelligence and algorithmic management presents a challenge of similar magnitude. These technologies not only reorganize labor but also redefine the very frameworks of negotiation, often bypassing established institutions. What remains constant is the need for intermediate bodies able to anchor collective rights in this shifting landscape. Only through a human-centered approach can technology be turned into a means of enhancing human capacities, ensuring dignity at work, and sustaining solidarity as a cornerstone of democratic life.

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Author Biographies

  • Mirela Marta Banach, Jagiellonian University

    A historian and political scientist, assistant professor at the Institute of Political Science and International Relations at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków. She holds a PhD from La Sapienza University of Rome and Jagiellonian University. Her research explores the political history of Poland and Italy, their mutual relations, the history of international relations, and transnational democratic movements. A member of CIRCgE (UNINT) and the Polish Group of the Istituto per la Storia del Risorgimento Italiano, she engages in interdisciplinary projects fostering Polish-Italian academic cooperation and research on the challenges of contemporary democracy in Europe.

  • Antonio Macchia, University of Teramo

    PhD in the History of International Relations from La Sapienza University of Rome, is a researcher at the University of Teramo. He serves as Vice-President of the European Association of International Studies (AESI) and directs the international book series Iconografie d’Europa for Aracne Editrice. His research focuses on the history of Solidarność, state–church relations under communist regimes, and the political transformations of Central and Eastern Europe. He is the author of Solidarność e la fine del blocco sovietico (Solidarność and the End of the Soviet Bloc, Rome 2020) and has published widely on Polish dissident movements, trade unionism, and the end of the Cold War.

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Published

29-05-2026

Issue

Vol. 23 No. 2(102) (2026): Democracy – Technological Transformation – Society

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Articles

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How to Cite

“From Solidarność to the Algorithm: The Crisis of Intermediate Bodies in Poland Between Trade Union Legacy and the Challenges of AI”. 2026. Politeja 23 (2(102): 105-28. https://doi.org/10.12797/Politeja.23.2026.102.06.