Poland’s EU Narrative: Between Nativist and Internationalist Visions of Europe

‘Europe’ has always occupied an important place in Polish public and political discourse. The country’s location at the crossroads between eastern and western Europe has left a firm imprint on the identities of Poles and their way of understanding Europe. This chapter examines how, two decades after the so-called ‘big bang’ enlargement, Poland’s membership of the EU and the EU is narrated. The first part of the chapter discusses the Polish understanding of Europe, which is often mythologised and politicised. The second part presents the official national EU narrative analyses, comparing the pre- and post-accession periods. A third and final section considers the narration of the EU in times of crisis, as well as recent developments regarding the rule of law, LGBTQ community rights in Poland and the COVID-19 pandemic. The chapter discusses two distinct narratives about Poland’s relationship with ‘Europe’—one nativist, the other internationalist.