Imitation or Substance
Poland in Europe and the Europeanisation of Poland
Deutsche Fassung
Abstract
Poland’s European identity is beyond doubt. But Poland’s position in the EU is unclear. The Europe policy of the liberal Civic Platform and the conservative Law and Justice party both lack substance. The Polish political class and Polish society barely intervene in the debate over the character of the EU. They conform to external requirements and thus merely imitate Europeanisation. This is symbolic compensation for the country’s real economic weakness and its political and cultural dependence. This symbolic form of politics is anachronistic.
(Osteuropa 5-6/2011, pp. 117–124)