Abstract:

Abstract The article presents the assumptions and results of an analysis of the content of inauguration speeches of Polish Prime Ministers in 2007–2017: Donald Tusk (2007 and 2011), Ewa Kopacz (2014), Beata Szydło (2015) and Mateusz Morawiecki (2017). The aim of the study has been to answer the question whether and to what extent the issues of social conflicts were present in the speeches and what dispute resolution strategies were announced by the government. Social tensions were one of the leitmotifs of each of those speeches, mainly in the context of their negative impact on the effectiveness of public policy. The speeches often called for a reduction in rivalry both between political actors and between social groups. The need to overcome the crisis of citizens’ trust in state institutions was also ascribed great importance. In the face of social conflicts, the prime ministers announced that they would play the role of an “arbiter”, who would decide how particular resources would be distributed (more often), or a “negotiator”, who would conduct a partner dialogue with other social actors in order to reach a common agreement (less often).

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