Mixed Balance
20 Years of the Treaty on Neighbourly Relations
Deutsche Fassung
Abstract
The symbolic significance of the German-Polish treaties of 1990-1991 is indisputable. But the balance of the border and neighbourly relations treaties is mixed. On the credit side of the ledger are the final settlement of the border question and EU enlargement. On the debit side, there is the advancement of the Polish-speaking population in Germany and the divergent interpretations of the two countries’ shared history. But Poland and Germany have become partners on an equal footing who can press ahead with initiatives such as the Baltic Sea Strategy or a future partnership for the transformation of Eastern Europe.
(Osteuropa 5-6/2011, pp. 41–48)