Phantom Borders and Political Discourse in Poland: The 2024 Election Campaign

Abstract

The concept of phantom borders draws attention to symbolic and imagined divisions that, despite the disappearance of their institutional foundations, continue to influence social practices, spatial perception, and identity formation. Originating in interdisciplinary research and primarily developed by geographers and historians, the notion balances between structuralist methodologies, which emphasise the persistence of social and cultural regional structures, and deconstructionist perspectives that challenge these assumptions and focus on the discursive nature of borders. This article examines how phantom borders are constructed and reproduced in the political discourse of contemporary Poland. The empirical basis of the study consists of speeches by representatives of the two major political parties – Civic Platform and Law and Justice – delivered during the 2024 local election campaign. The analysis reveals that in the discourse of both parties, phantom borders are manifested and reinforced through the construction of “us” vs. “them” dichotomies, albeit with different emphases. Law and Justice party consistently highlights the divide between the East and West of the country, thereby unintentionally reinforcing the image of Eastern Poland as backward and marginalised. Civic Platform, by contrast, emphasises unity, invoking symbols of cooperation and comfort. In both cases, however, representations of the past and regional distinctions serve as tools for constructing political identity and symbolic boundaries between members of the in-group and the out-group. Politicians not only impose images of regions but also seek to reproduce them through personal experience and everyday practices – a tendency particularly evident in their interactions with voters. This is especially noticeable during local elections, where candidates are often deeply embedded in the regions they represent. Such involvement is not merely an element of electoral strategy but also a genuine everyday practice through which they participate in the construction of phantom borders.

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank Marharyta Fabrykant for the insightful discussion and valuable comments that significantly enhanced this study.

Received 15 June 2025

Revised 20 November 2025

Accepted 30 November 2025 

For citation: Lagno, A. R., 2025. Phantom Borders and Political Discourse in Poland: The 2024 Election Campaign. Slavic World in the Third Millennium, 20 (3–4), pp. 79–111. https://doi.org/10.31168/2412-6446.2025.20.3-4.04