Poland Archives

A bottom-up approach to the history of the region

An interview with Jacob Mikanowski, author of Goodbye Eastern Europe. An intimate history of a divided land. Interviewers: Adam Reichardt and Nina Pániková

September 16, 2024 - Adam Reichardt Jacob Mikanowski Nina Pániková

NATO beyond 75: strategic evolution amid global uncertainty

As NATO member states gathered in Washington for their annual meeting this past July, they also marked 75 years of NATO’s existence. However, there was no real time or desire to celebrate, as the allies are facing an increasingly dangerous security environment and uncertainty in their own domestic political landscapes. The results of the upcoming US presidential election also loom large when it comes to NATO's future.

September 16, 2024 - Wojciech Michnik

Tug of war. The NATO summit and (not so) modest gains in Washington

NATO’s 75th anniversary summit in Washington took place in the shadow of the most shattering armed conflict in Europe since the end of the Second World War. The Russian invasion of Ukraine almost completely consumed these talks, but at the same time nobody would deny that it constituted the most important trigger for NATO’s much accelerated adaptation to the new, harsh geopolitical reality.

September 16, 2024 - Beata Górka-Winter

Adolescence is over. Time for updates to the Central European growth model

The 20th anniversary of the 2004 European Union enlargement should constitute an occasion not only to celebrate the numerous economic successes of the last two decades, but also to reflect on upcoming development challenges. Although growth since the accession has been pretty solid and stable, its foundations are still not robust enough, especially given the current uncertainties concerning geopolitics and geoeconomics.

Twenty years of EU membership for the Central European countries have seen great success from an economic point of view. The dynamics of GDP growth have been relatively high, with the convergence process progressing and foreign trade developing at the same time. The inflow of direct investments has also been fairly intense, while unemployment decreased to the lowest levels in Europe. In addition, the region's countries have generally managed to maintain stability in their public finances.

June 22, 2024 - Konrad Popławski

The 1863 uprising and the shared legacy of the Commonwealth

The January Uprising of 1863 was the last common struggle for the ideals of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Today, when no existential disputes exist between the independent nations of Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania and Belarus, the memory of 1863 should be a stepping stone to teaching the history of the Commonwealth as a common legacy.

Earlier this year, the presidents of Poland and Lithuania, accompanied by the leader of the Belarusian democratic opposition in exile, celebrated together in Vilnius the 161st anniversary of the January Uprising. This event was fought by the nobility and intelligentsia of the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the years 1863-64 against Russian imperial rule.

June 22, 2024 - Wiktor Babiński

A central and eastern EU elections summary

While the results of the EU parliamentary elections in Central and Eastern Europe did not lead to political upheaval as seen in France, it is becoming clear that the far-right representation in Strasbourg will increase from this part of Europe.

June 11, 2024 - Ottilie Tabberer

“We need to tame Przemyśl with its own complex history”

Interview with Igor Horkov, director of the Ukrainian House in Przemyśl. Interviewer: Nikodem Szczygłowski.

May 17, 2024 - Igor Horków Nikodem Szczygłowski

It is time to take the improvement of the Ukraine-EU border seriously

Since the start of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, the country’s border with the EU, particularly that with Poland, has been in the limelight for reasons both good and bad. While in recent months it mainly attracted attention due to the Polish farmers and freight carriers’ blockade, the overall problems related to the Ukraine-EU border are far more complex and require a more comprehensive set of solutions.

When Polish President Andrzej Duda travelled to Kyiv at the height of Ukraine-Poland relations in May 2022, he talked mostly about Russia’s aggression and the need to enhance cooperation. But he also touched upon another, no less important matter. Namely, that Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine which caused a massive exodus of people during a short period exposed the Ukraine-Poland border’s subpar condition, adding that the border must “unite, not divide”. This statement was warmly greeted in Ukraine, as by then the border had turned into the country’s lifeline, with dozens of hubs created in bordering Poland, Slovakia, Romania and Hungary to quickly process all sorts of critical supplies.

April 11, 2024 - Lesia Dubenko

How was NATO won? Assessing Poland’s record in NATO after 25 years

Alongside several of its neighbours, Poland recently celebrated a quarter of a century in NATO. Seen as a means of ensuring the country’s transition to democracy, membership of the Alliance has allowed Warsaw to become a key player in European security. Despite this, it is clear that real challenges lie ahead.

March 25, 2024 - Wojciech Michnik

Polish approach to the transatlantic and European ambitions of Ukraine, North Macedonia and Moldova: a reality check of public debate

Poland has often been seen as a key supporter of EU and NATO enlargement. Having benefitted immensely from these processes itself, it has now backed enlargement to states like Ukraine, North Macedonia and Moldova. Despite this, there are certain peculiarities in its approach when it comes to each country.

March 11, 2024 - Michal Krawczyk

Unravelling the anti-immigrant discourse in Poland’s 2023 election campaign

In the digital age, with information flowing freely and narratives shaping perceptions, there is less and less hope of arriving at a point at which one objective truth prevails or even exists. This leaves us with the task of understanding discourses surrounding political events and processes. From that vantage point, one may look at the case of immigration to Poland and how it appeared in last year’s electoral campaign.

February 21, 2024 - Maciej Makulski

Reversing the Polish drift to the illiberal path

Poland’s new governing coalition has promised to restore the rule of law after many years of manipulation by its rival Law and Justice. Despite this, the changes made by the previous government have now plunged Poland into a battle between legality and legitimacy.

February 14, 2024 - Kamil Matusiewicz