Table Of ContentPoland and Germany in the
European Union
This book explores the political and social dynamics of the bilateral relations
between Germany and Poland at the national and subnational levels, taking
into account the supranational dynamics, across such different policy areas
as trade, foreign and security policy, energy, fiscal issues, health and social
policy, migration and local governance.
By studying the impact of three explanatory categories – the historical
legacy, interdependence and asymmetry – on the bilateral relationship, the
book explores the patterns of cooperation and identifies the driving forces
and hindering factors of the bilateral relationship. Covering the Polish–
German relationship since 2004, it demonstrates, in a systematic way, that it
does not qualify as embedded bilateralism. The relationship remains historic-
ally burdened and asymmetric, and thus it is not resilient to crises.
This book will be of key interest to scholars and students of European and
EU politics, German politics, East/ Central European politics, borderlands
studies and, more broadly, for international relations, history and sociology.
Elżbieta Opiłowska is Associate Professor of Sociology and Head of the
Centre for Regional and Borderlands Studies at the Institute of Sociology of
the University of Wrocław, Poland.
Monika Sus is an Associate Professor at the Institute of Political Studies of
the Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland, and a fellow at the Center
for International Security at the Hertie School, Berlin, Germany.
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Poland and Germany in the European Union
The multidimensional dynamics of bilateral relations
Edited by Elżbieta Opiłowska and Monika Sus
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Poland and Germany in the
European Union
The Multidimensional Dynamics
of Bilateral Relations
Edited by
Elżbieta Opiłowska and Monika Sus
First published 2021
by Routledge
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and by Routledge
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© 2021 selection and editorial matter, Elżbieta Opiłowska and
Monika Sus; individual chapters, the contributors
The right of Elżbieta Opiłowska and Monika Sus to be identified as the
authors of the editorial material, and of the authors for their individual
chapters, has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
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British Library Cataloguing-i n- Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-i n- Publication Data
Names: Opiłowska, Elżbieta, editor. | Sus, Monika, editor.
Title: Poland and Germany in the European Union: the multidimensional
dynamics of bilateral relations / edited by Elżbieta Opiłowska and Monika Sus.
Description: Abingdon, Oxon; New York, NY: Routledge, 2021. |
Series: Routledge advances in European politics |
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2020048075 (print) | LCCN 2020048076 (ebook) |
ISBN 9780367490799 (hardback) | ISBN 9781003046622 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Poland–Foreign relations–Germany. |
Germany–Foreign relations–Poland. | European Union–Poland. |
European Union–Germany.
Classification: LCC DK4185.G3 P637 2021 (print) |
LCC DK4185.G3 (ebook) | DDC 327.430438–dc23
LC record available at https:// lccn.loc.gov/ 2020048075
LC ebook record available at https:// lccn.loc.gov/ 2020048076
ISBN: 978- 0- 367- 49079- 9 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-0-367-49561-9 (pbk)
ISBN: 978- 1- 003- 04662- 2 (ebk)
Typeset in Times New Roman
by Newgen Publishing UK
Contents
List of figures viii
List of maps x
List of tables xi
List of contributors xii
Acknowledgements xvii
Introduction: Poland and Germany in the European
Union: multidimensional dynamics of bilateral relations 1
ANNA- LENA KIRCH, ELŻBIETA OPIŁOWSKA AND MONIKA SUS
PART 1
Conceptual ideas 23
1 Bilateralism within the European Union: examining the
explanatory power of horizontal Europeanisation and
interdependence 25
JOANNA DYDUCH
2 Back in fashion? The resurgence of bilateral diplomacy in
Europe 42
ALEXANDER MATTELAER
3 Asymmetric bilateralism and the struggle over status in
the EU field of power 55
AGNIESZKA K. CIANCIARA
4 The category of national neighbourship as a complement
to the concept of embedded bilateralism: the Polish–
German case 74
MARCIN DĘBICKI AND JULITA MAKARO
vi Contents
PART 2
Bilateral relations at the supranational, intergovernmental
and subnational levels: case studies 91
5 Polish– German cooperation in security and defence:
falling short of potential or doomed to be fragile? 93
ANNA- LENA KIRCH AND MONIKA SUS
6 Poland’s reserved approach to the euro: does Germany
matter? 112
SEBASTIAN PŁÓCIENNIK
7 (A)symmetry in economic relations? German– Polish
integration in the EU single market 130
DAGMARA JAJEŚNIAK-Q UAST
8 Migration: an axis of dispute or a potential point of
enhanced cooperation? 149
MACIEJ DUSZCZYK
9 Untapped horizons and prevailing domestic beliefs:
bilateral climate and energy relations from a Polish
perspective 167
ANDRZEJ CEGLARZ
10 Explaining the mutual perceptions of Poles and
Germans in the light of the Polish– German Barometer 186
AGNIESZKA ŁADA
11 Determinants of cross- border cooperation in the
Polish– German borderland 208
ELŻBIETA OPIŁOWSKA
12 Bilateral relations at the subnational level: transborder
cooperation networks in the Polish– German
borderlands 227
SYLWIA DOŁZBŁASZ AND ANDRZEJ RACZYK
13 German– Polish bilateralism at the local and regional
levels: the case of the Interreg programme 248
JAROSŁAW JAŃCZAK AND JAVIER MARTÍN- UCEDA
Contents vii
14 The dynamics of economic development in the
Polish– German border region: the example of the state
of Brandenburg and the Lubuskie Voivodeship 273
ANNA M. STEINKAMP
15 The difficult case of healthcare cooperation across
borders: German– Polish bilateral arrangements in the
light of previous European borderland experiences 289
SARA SVENSSON
Conclusions 306
ELŻBIETA OPIŁOWSKA AND MONIKA SUS
Index 311
Figures
6.1 Do you think the introduction of the euro will be positive
for your country? Answers in per cent 116
6.2 Real GDP per capita in Germany and Poland in 2004 and
2019 in thousands of euros 117
10.1 What comes to your mind when you hear the word
‘Germans’/ ‘Germany’? Responses of Poles from the years
2016, 2018 and 2020 grouped by categories. The figure shows
percentages of all given answers 189
10.2 What comes to your mind when you hear the words ‘Poland’
and ‘Poles’? Responses of Germans from the years 2016,
2018 and 2020 grouped by categories. The figure shows
percentages of all given answers 190
10.3 What is your attitude towards Poles/ Germans? Responses of
Poles and Germans in the years 2000– 2020 194
10.4 Would you accept a German in the following roles? Positive
answers from Poles in the years 2000– 2020 196
10.5 Would you accept a Pole in the following roles? Positive
answers from Germans in the years 2000– 2020 197
10.6 What are the relations between Poland and Germany like?
Responses of Poles and Germans in 2000– 2020 198
10.7 You have described Polish– German relations as good.
This is mainly the result of … Responses of Poles and
Germans in 2020 199
10.8 You have described Polish– German relations as bad.
This is mainly the result of … Responses of Poles and
Germans in 2020 200
10.9 Can Germany, in the future, be a threat to Poland? Opinions
of Poles in the years 2005– 2020 201
10.10 In relations with Germany/ Poland, should the focus be more
on the issues concerning the present and the future or the
past? Responses of Poles and Germans in 2020 202
List of figures ix
10.11 In relations with Germany, should the focus be more on the
issues concerning the present and the future or the past?
Responses of Poles in 2011, 2018 and 2020 203
10.12 In relations with Poland, should the focus be more on the
issues concerning the present and the future or the past?
Responses of Germans in 2018 and 2020 203
10.13 Have the suffering and the sacrifice experienced by the Polish
people throughout their history been sufficiently recognised
by the international public? Responses of Poles and Germans
in 2018, 2019 and 2020 204
12.1 Number of projects, organisations and beneficiaries
(occurrences of organisations) under Interreg IVA
programmes 2007– 2013 in the Polish– German borderland 233
12.2 Thematic categories of transborder cooperation projects in
Polish borderlands between 2007 and 2013 by programmes,
as of 2016 (in percentages of the number of projects,
excluding categories below 2 per cent) 234
12.3 The share of programme beneficiaries at the Polish– German
borderland between 2007 and 2013 by the main type of
activity, as of 2016 (percentage of the number of
beneficiaries) 235
12.4 Distribution of organisations by the number of projects
realised as part of transborder cooperation programme
Mecklenburg- Vorpommern– Brandenburg– Poland, Poland–
Brandenburg and Saxony– Poland in 2007– 2013 237
12.5 Transborder cooperation network under Mecklenburg-
Vorpommern– Brandenburg– Poland, Brandenburg– Poland
and Saxony– Poland programmes between 2007 and 2013
by the degree indicator, country of origin and the type of
activity of an organisation 238
12.6 Connections between beneficiaries realising joint projects
under the transborder cooperation programmes of
Mecklenburg- Vorpommern– Brandenburg– Poland, Poland–
Brandenburg and Saxony– Poland in 2007– 2013 239
13.1 Project types for each CBC programme 260
14.1 Value of exports from the state of Brandenburg and from
the Lubuskie Voivodeship in 2010– 2017 282
14.2 Value of exports per inhabitant in euros from the state
of Brandenburg and from the Lubuskie Voivodeship in
2010– 2017 283
