The Main Determinants of Poland’s Foreign and Security Policy in the Twenty-First Century

Abstract

In this chapter, the author presents the main determinants of Poland’s foreign and security policy, with an emphasis on those appearing in the twenty-first century. The author makes his point of departure Poland’s geopolitical location at the center of Europe and he examines the country’s potential as a medium-rank state. He analyzes how Polish foreign and security policy is immersed in history and how this manifests itself in a selective memory of the past, in the theory of “two enemies” (Russia and Germany), and in the idea of Poland’s mission in Eastern Europe. The author points to how the instability of Poland’s political system and the lack of consensus over its foreign and security policy affect the country’s behavior on the international stage. Next, he characterizes Poland as a member of the Atlantic community within NATO and the EU. In conclusion, he shows Poland’s lack of adaptation to the changing international order in the twenty-first century and to its return to Central European geopolitics.