Euroscepticism Among the Political Elite in Poland: Key Trends and Periodization
Abstract
Euroscepticism has become a key aspect of contemporary European politics. While the collapse of the socialist camp triggered significant Euro-optimism, developments in Central and Eastern Europe show that Europeanization is complex and nonlinear. Poland serves as an intriguing case for this discussion. The article explores the principal trends of Euroscepticism within the Polish political elite, primarily by establishing a chronological timeline. Following this classification, it examines the prominent political figures and the key messages they articulated, which have defined Polish Euroscepticism at various times. The election of the soft Eurosceptic Karol Nawrocki in the 2025 presidential elections has renewed interest in this topic, especially regarding public opinion research.
The article analyzes secondary data to investigate the relationship between the perspectives of the Eurosceptic political elite and public Euroscepticism in Poland. The study indicates that, at first glance, the trajectories of public and party Euroscepticism may not seem remarkably consistent. However, a more in-depth analysis from a comparative perspective could generate new hypotheses and research questions.
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