Summary/Abstract |
The sociopolitical split in Polish society disorients Warsaw’s Eastern policy.
Poland has historically positioned itself as a missionary in Eastern Europe,
but the current internal conflict calls into question the very essence of
this mission. On the one hand, Warsaw clearly intends to facilitate the
integration of states in the western part of the post-Soviet space into the
Western structures. On the other hand, a significant part of Polish society,
whose views are represented by the country’s leadership, is unhappy about
the trends afoot in the United States and Western Europe and sees Poland
as a conservative alternative to the Western mainstream. For its part, the
liberal part of society is dissatisfied with this standoff and insists that
Poland should follow the main social trends of major Western countries. As
a result, Poland has found itself facing an identity crisis.
|