Poland: Learning to Play the Brussels GameKarolina PomorskaNational and European Foreign Policies

RQ: Impact that EU enlargement thorugh participation in the CFSP, has had on Polish Foreign Policy & ipact of Warsaw on EU Foreign Policy. (p168 m)

Polish first experience of modern FP came in the 1920 &30’s (always part of other state before). Despite its re-independence in June 1945, it only was fully sovereign in 1989 (international& national) => Tadeusz Mazowiecki, prime minister.

Under stand how Europe matters via: conditionality (before the enlargement), learning and socialization. (later stage)

1. Downloading

= National adaptation., reception of norm and policies at the domestic level. For effective uploading, a member state first have to adapt (download)

Europeanization of the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affair (MFA)

Adaptation was a great challenge due to Polish recent FP. They learn: by other or by doing (not from the past) => cultural shock.

1. Organizational change: new department & posts to cooperate wit the EU (through conditionality)

2. Way of working change in MFA: teamwork for participation in CFSP & information sharing between officials. Learn European thinking.

3. Role and organizational change of Polish permanent representation in Brussel. 2 more section, CFSP & ESDP. New mechanism, EU WoW.

4. Modernization in technical issue & everyday work management (emailing, COREU terminal system)

MFA started to integrate the EU as feeling part of it Brussel became a valuable source of info and analysis via networks.

National representatives in Brussels as ‘change agents’

Growing gap between official posted in Brussels and those in capital.Act as change agents, initiating change at the domestic level, active part in EUrpeanization process.Build trust & friendship with other European colleagues. Consensus –nature of negociation in EU is an important lesson for all level of decision making in Poland.

Downloading and the substance of FP

Most of the change done before enlargement to comply with the acquis. Otherwise no substantial change in national interest

Poland and ESDP

Poland use to see the Poland and the EU as dependent on US security. They became more pragmatic, contributing to Eu military operations & action. Enthusiastic participant.

2. Uploading Polish FP objectives to the EU CFSP

Uploading: policy toward the EU’s new Eastern neighbors

#1 priority within Polish contribution.= > managed to put it on the agenda, but no success in shaping the policy.

Advocating that the EU should have its door open and speak in favor of a coherent & comprehensive framework of eastern policy to enable individual relation with each neighbor. Ex: Northern dimension (relation with Russia, Iceland, Norway) seen as very successful for Polish. (p174)

But

Polish ideas not incorporated in ENP of 2004 (p175). Polish liked the initial idea better: NNI, 2002. Polish see as a weakness the fact that no membership prospect exist for ENP partners.

2007: European council invite to work on the development of Southern and eastern dimension, seen very positively by the Polish.

2008: creation of EaP. But Polish finds it too modest.

Going to the Orange Revolution with the EU: policy towards Ukraine

Seen as a success of Polish uploading, but aftermath is disillusioning. Pols position is that Ukraine should have perspective to become a member. Advocating polish/UA relation and potential membership in the EU (via Javier Solana), pols seek to:

- Legitimize Poland national FP- Use the EU as a mean to amplify a policy central to its national security.- Raise profile within the EU

As the aftermath, long-term goal was to bring membership. But too few supporters and Polish had to accept it was off. So Polish Officials focused on strengthening political & security dialog.

Polish Veto and Russia

EU-Russia relation are crucial for Poland, but no considerable impact yet. focused on changing perception of Russia, by some older MS + activating & improving

bilateral relations. Most visible is the polish Veto in 2006: reaction to the ban on Polish meat and plant that

Russia introduced in 2005 & failure to reach an agreement with Russia on EU energy charter. Although reasons could be understand, Veto seen as a breach of Brussels “code of conduct” (consensus!)

Reducing the misfit: Approach to Belarus

Polish criticizes approach to Belarus as not doing enough. (similar to Russia)Attempt to promote:

- stronger support for political opposition- more flexible instrument for financing aid programs- increasing people to people contacts…p181 m

Pols are eager to retain formal contacts but there is pressure to punish an undemocratic regime.However, we can observe that Belarus is more often on the agenda.

A Trojan horse in the house? Poland and transatlantic relations.

Largest fear prior to enlargement was future of ESDP and transatlantic relations (PL favored repetitively NATO). Poland called the US Trojan horse, but Poland consider itself a bridge EU-US. However there was a notable change in attitude since accession.

Conclusion not such an awkward partner after all.

Poland decided to involve Europe and act through Europe, There has been a change of context in which polish national interest is now formulated (p186t). EU and polish FP seems to be complementing each other.Europeanization of policy facilitates uploading, but it is not necessarily the same for downloading.