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".
[...] Although we might think that considering the Neighborhood Policy, Polish efforts should turn into European efforts, Poland's views are not necessarily in synch with the rest of Europe. Poland has an important role both in shaping the transformation in Eastern Europe and in challenging the EU to risk a new approach towards the Eastern European states. Its aim is to “seek to it that the European Union raises its relations with Ukraine to the level of Strategic Partnership and opens the prospect of integration[2].” Former President Aleksander Kwasniewski and the State has been very helpful to incite the Poles to support the revolution in Ukraine, by organising manifestations and concerts where Poles waved orange flags. [...]
[...] 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. [...]
[...] Bibliography Government information on the Polish foreign policy presented by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the RP, Prof. Adam Daniel Rotfeld, at the session of the Sejm on 21st January 2005 The EU's relations with Belarus http://ec.europe.eu/external_relations/belarus The EU's relations with Ukraine http://ec.europe.eu/external_relations/ukraine Le Figaro, L'UE douche les espoirs d'adhésion de l'Ukraine 28/10/2006 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. [...]
[...] Indeed, the EU is “embarrassed”[5] by the Ukrainian question and try to dissuade Ukraine from being an official candidate. Without saying a clear the European commission keeps on postponing this possibility. During the summit in Helsinki in October 2006, José Manuel Barroso rejected an integration of Ukraine on the middle term. Instead, agreements on free trade and visa regulation have been signed. 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. [...]
[...] 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. Europe would rather secure its gas deliveries and give more importance to the reaction of Russia. In those conditions, Poland can only do little. Its will to (its) prestige and position in the European family to promote the interests of the region”[6] is often very dangerous. Poland will have to reconsider its current stance on this issue and adopt a more pragmatic approach if it wants to continue playing an important role beyond the EU's eastern borders. [...]
APA Style reference
For your bibliographyOnline reading
with our online readerContent validated
by our reading committee
