Reflections on the Via Baltica Campaign in Poland

Abstract

Years of NGO campaigning resulted in the withdrawal of consent for the Via Baltica road to be routed through Bialystok, north-east Poland. In light of the current revision of the Trans-European Transport Network and ongoing environmental campaigns against infrastructure development in Central and Eastern Europe, this profile piece reflects on the Via Baltica campaign in Poland. It identifies three factors crucial to its success: multi-level collaboration, framing of the campaign and the use of both ‘formal’ and ‘informal’ tactics. It argues that in combining these elements, NGOs were not only able to ensure success in the case of the Via Baltica but also set a precedent for future environmental campaigns in the region.