posted on the web on April 21 2003

Country Data

Full Name: Republic of Poland Capital: Warsaw Population: 38,625,478 (2002 est.) Location: Europe Total area: 312,685 sq km Language: Polish Ethnic groups: Polish 97.6% Religions: Roman Catholic 95% Currency: Polish Zloty IGO memberships: NATO, UN, WHO, WTO Internet site: Ministry of Foreign Affairs Source: CIA World Factbook, Spiegel Jahrbuch

With a total surface area of approximately 126 thousand miles and a population of 40 million people, Poland is by far the largest country due to enter the European Union as part of its planned enlargement in 2004. In many ways, it is the most interesting entrant from a political and historical standpoint. At the same time, it faces significant challenges for successful EU accession.

The Polish State is over a thousand years old and has a tumultuous history. Poland arose as a distinct political entity late in the tenth century (1). Over the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries, the union of Poland and Lithuania under Jagellonian rule became a significant power on the Continent. Amidst civil strife and territorial division, the Commonwealth of Poland-Lithuania ratified the first written constitution in Europe on May 3, 1791. Thereafter, Poland was partitioned by its powerful neighbors Russia, Austria and Prussia and ceased to exist as a nation State for 123 years.

After World War I and the breakup of the Russian, Austro-Hungarian, and German Empires, Poland regained independence in 1918, but only for 20 years. The Second World War saw Poland ravaged by occupation and Holocaust and at the end of the conflict the USSR took military and political control of the nation. In 1989, after a decade-long clandestine and activist struggle by the Solidarity workers movement, the first partially free elections in Poland's post-war history were conducted, resulting in the defeat of Poland's communist rulers.

Today, Poland is a constitutional democracy. The 1997 Constitution vests power in the Sejm and the Senate. The Sejm plays the principal role in the legislative process and has the right to oversee the Council of Ministers. The upper chamber, the Senate, can amend or reject laws passed by the Sejm. The President is the Head of State with little executive power. He is elected to a five-year term of office in direct elections. While the President can veto laws, a qualified majority in the Sejm can override this veto. The Council of Ministers (the Government) led by the Prime Minister is the principal body of the Executive Branch.

In 1998, Poland joined NATO and began negotiating its accession to the EU. For many, Polish entrance into these two central Western institutions will mark a final break with the past and promise economics prosperity, territorial security and a political return to the heart of Europe. Indeed, EU entrance has consistently been a policy goal of every post-Communist Polish government.

Krzysztof Skubiszewski, Poland's first post-Communist foreign minister, clearly delineated Poland’s mission in 1991, when he said: "This longing [to join the EU and NATO] results from our statehood and [the ability to] determine its course and, let us be frank, will decide our place in Europe." Inevitably, there have been varying opinions regarding the speed and depth of Polish integration into the EU. However, official statements made by Polish authorities since the country regained national sovereignty in 1989 all indicate a decidedly pro-European stance (2).

Basic Data

Full Name: European Union Headquarters: Brussels Population: about 371 million (2002 est.) Total area: 3,191,100 sq km Member Countries: Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Denmark, Germany, Greece Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom. Candidate Countries: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Turkey. Internet site: Europa Source: EU

Following the Copenhagen summit of December 2002, the negotiations for Polish accession to the European Union were provisionally closed. Polish politicians seem to have achieved their goal.

However, a smooth ride is not assured. There are several significant issues that might arise from Polish accession. A crucial concern is the agricultural sector. Despite the weight of agriculture in employment, its share in GDP is small and has declined sharply (from 13.1% in 1988 to 3.3% in 2000). Poland expects considerable EU funding in the years ahead to help restructure the agricultural sector, as well as to invest in rural infrastructure. It is estimated that around 4m people are "employed" in private agriculture, but this figure conceals large hidden unemployment. A dramatic decline in farm employment is inevitable with increased European competition and will need to be handled sensitively if social problems are to be minimized.

The implications of EU accession for the large informal barter economy of Poland’s poorer regions are another key issue. While in the long run Poland is expected to benefit economically from trade with the EU, "the long run may well be too late for many of Poland’s poor eastern regions" (3). As accession approaches, domestic producers must increasingly conform to the EU’s standards. The limited educational background and skills of these regions’ inhabitants (among whom illiteracy one of the highest in Europe) create a distinct disadvantage.

A substantial investment in human capital is needed. While EU structural funds are meant to address this issue, such it will be contingent on the questionable ability of Poland to distribute these funds effectively in these regions. In short, EU membership will have a profound effect on the economy’s complex pattern of formal, informal, commercial, and agricultural sectors. The informal sector, the agricultural sector, and the realm of small scale entrepreneurship in the poorer regions will be at a particular disadvantage. While the current socio-economic disparities appear tolerable, it is uncertain whether "Polish society can absorb or accept the deteriorating conditions of these potential new casualties of EU membership" (4).

The EU accession referendum, which is planned to be held on June 7th and 8th, will dominate Polish politics over the next few months. As long as the required 50% of the population participates, recent data suggests it is likely that Poles will vote in favor of joining. Polls indicate a consistent 55-60% of Poles are in favour of EU membership, while 20-25% are opposed, with the remainder undecided.

Barnaby Lyons is a student at Princeton University, USA.

Bibliography

1. Biskupski, M.B, The History of Poland, Greenwood Press, London, 2000, p. 7.
2. Staying the Course, Rafa? Riedel, http://www.ce-review.org/00/18/riedel18.html.
3. East European Constitutional Review, "Special Report: EU Enlargement as Seen from the East" 9 (4) p. 73.
4. East European Constitutional Review, "Special Report: EU Enlargement as Seen from the East" 9 (4) p. 73.

Internet Resources

EU Enlargement COuntries: Poland