The role of Poland in EU policies toward Eastern Europe: is Poland a bridge between East and West?

Résumé du document

It is often hard to define a common foreign policy of the EU, as in most cases national interest and bilateral relations are the rule. Nevertheless, some agreements and partnerships have created and enhanced ties between the EU and other countries of Eastern Europe. The enlargement of the EU in 2004 gave a more important role to those relations, as the EU would now have borders with Belarus and Ukraine. As the biggest State within the new member States, Poland became the main partner for talks and the spokesman in dealings with the new member States. Poland and its representatives accepted this role and wanted to play a major role in EU foreign policies. One of the main ideas related to this point, was that Poland "should be influencing the shape of the EU policy toward the non-European regions" and to develop it's "strategy toward the non-European developing states".

Extraits

[...] The role of Poland in this evolution is arguable though. But first of all, we must underline that Poland played a passive role due to its geographical location. Relations with those countries, and especially with Ukraine, have been boosted after the enlargement, as the UE would have borders with them thanks to Poland. Nevertheless, we can see that Poland, conscious of the logic of the EU, has chosen to encourage the transition process in Eastern Europe so that the EU, in respect with its stance, would work toward countries that would have given proofs of motivation to change. [...]

[...] In those circumstances, Poland will continue its bilateral actions in the region and will count on sub- regional structures and solidarity within the EU. Minister of Foreign Affairs of the RP, Prof. Adam Daniel Rotfeld at the session of the Sejm on 21st January 2005 Minister of Foreign Affairs of the RP, Prof. Adam Daniel Rotfeld at the session of the Sejm on 21st January 2005 Minister of Foreign Affairs of the RP, Prof. Adam Daniel Rotfeld at the session of the Sejm on 21st January 2005 “”Minister of Foreign Affairs of the RP, Prof. [...]

[...] Nevertheless, Poland can find support from its neighbours, from those who experienced a negative history in the soviet influence zone and who chose the European model, sometimes with support from Poland. Together, they can try to counterbalance the point of view of Western countries. The cooperation between the Visegrad Group, the Central European Initiative and the Council of Baltic Sea States enhanced the identity of Central Europe and its potential to be an actor with stronger stances. Although one can consider that Poland and the EU share interests in the former soviet republics, they fail in agreeing on what to do with these countries. [...]

[...] If Poland has such difficulties in influencing EU's foreign policies on that subject, the reason might be a semi-hidden opposition within the EU. Especially Paris and Berlin would refer to the tiredness after the enlargement to delay any new membership in the East. But behind this, we mustn't undermine the huge dependence of Europe of Russia, which would not appreciate any intrusion from the EU in what it sees like its zone of influence. As Poland experienced, supporting the process of democratization in Ukraine can cause troubles with Russia of the Russian gas used in Europe goes through Ukraine and any change in Kiev or any involvement of the EU in that change would alter those gas deliveries. [...]

[...] Thanks to bilateral actions, Poland can try to involve the EU in those issues. However, it often hard to introduce the vision of the new member States over the quite homogenous vision of Western Europe. When they think that Eastern Europe belongs to the sphere of another civilization and culture and another zone of influence, Poland would like to bet on historical links with those countries and on the possibility of a political change. Poland's experience with Soviet hegemony has pushed the country to advocate a more robust stance against Russian foreign policy and this legacy prompt Poland to take an active role in Ukraine's 2004 Orange Revolution and to demand that the EU adopt a new approach toward the countries of Eastern Europe. [...]