Krzysztof Jasiewicz Publishes Chapter in ‘The Oxford Handbook of Polish Politics’ The William P. Ames Jr. Professor of Sociology and Anthropology Emeritus’ chapter focuses on the collapse of the communist system in Eastern Europe.

By Abby Harlan
February 23, 2026

Krzysztof Jasiewicz, William P. Ames Jr. Professor of Sociology and Anthropology Emeritus at Washington and Lee University, contributed a chapter in “The Oxford Handbook of Polish Politics,” which was published in December 2025 by Oxford University Press.

Jasiewicz’s chapter, titled “The Round Table Accord and Elections of 1989: The Foundation Myth That Faded Away,” appears in the second section of the publication, titled “Past and Present.” In his chapter, Jasiewicz examines the final phase in dismantling Eastern Europe’s communist regime by analyzing the Round Table Accord, the June almost-free elections and the formation of Poland’s first post-communist government in 1989. Jasiewicz investigates the perspectives and roles of principal participants in Poland’s negotiated transition to democracy, which included the dominating officials, the resistance led by the Solidarity movement and the Polish Catholic Church. Additionally, the chapter studies the distinctive arrangement of Poland’s electoral system during this era, along with the immediate political consequences of Solidarity’s victory. Jasiewicz’s contribution concludes by reflecting on the symbolic importance of these events, ultimately acknowledging the unfulfilled potential of Poland’s broader transitionary promise.

Jasiewicz retired from W&L in July 2024 but remains an active scholar, teaching courses on European politics and society, post-communist transformations, Central European societies and various research methods.

Jasiewicz joined the W&L faculty as a full professor in 1994 after having previously served as a visiting professor on two separate occasions. He received a master’s degree from Warsaw University (Poland) and a doctorate from the Polish Academy of Sciences. He was the founder and first director of electoral studies at the Institute for Political Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences and served as editor of the East European Politics and Societies journal from 2013-2023.