The EU in Political Thought and Practice of the Rulling Right Wing in Poland

Abstract

In this article, I present the views of the right-wing ruling in Poland since 2015 on issues related to European integration and the European Union. I pay special attention to the largest party of so-called Zjednoczona Prawica (United Right), that is Jarosław Kaczyński’s political group Prawo I Sprawiedliwość (Law and Justice), its programme and actions and statements of party politicians. The analysis of the programme, declarations and actions of party politicians allows us to notice Eurosceptic tendencies that are the expression of so-called realism in international relations. The theory that perceives nation-states as the most important actors of international politics reduces the importance of such entities as the European Union. The PiS looks at the EU through the prism of national interests and raison d’etat. The EU’s value has been reduced to its usefulness in advancing these interests. For the sake of comparison, I also refer to the programme of a smaller coalition party, Porozumienie (Agreement) of Deputy Prime Minister Jaroslaw Gowin, who defines this formation as pro-EU. However, it is a marginal group without influence on the shape of European policy of the United Rights.