There is intense debate in Poland about the direction the country is taking under its new right-wing government, a debate that has spilled over into the European Union and that has raised questions about the direction of democracy in Eastern and Central Europe more than a quarter-century after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

The New York Times asked readers in Poland to describe what had changed, and to talk about their hopes and fears as the government led by the Law and Justice Party (known by the Polish acronym PiS) exerts more control over public broadcasting and the judicial system and seeks to give conservative, Roman Catholic values a more prominent place in Polish life.

The push toward the right and a rise in nationalist fervor has left some Poles feeling disenfranchised and arguing that Poland would be better off cultivating Western alliances. Supporters of the new government, with links to rural Poland and the powerful Catholic church, say that news coverage of their country’s new course has been unfair.

More than 1,000 readers responded, bringing to life a conversation about Poland’s direction. Here is a selection. The responses have been edited for length and clarity; those submitted in Polish include a translation.