German–Polish Transfers on Eastern Policy? Research Deficits, Europeanisation Inputs, Empirical Testing

Abstract

This article calls for more studies concerning German-Polish Eastern policy cooperation. Existing literature does not explain in detail whether German-Polish rapprochement on their Eastern policies resulted from their mutual concessions rather than simply from their similar assessments of certain Eastern European developments. However, the literature highlighs the countries’ individual interests and complementary influences within the European Union’s (EU) Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). This can potentially explain their bilateral policy transfers. Therefore, to design studies of such cross-transfers, the article re-discusses the under-researched model of Europeanisation through cross-loading. It theorises that even member states with divergent foreign interests can, paradoxically, engage in tactical coalition- and consensus-building. Here, the states recognise each other’s complementary coalition-building skills among their different allies as to help them broaden support for their own positions within the CFSP. Consequently, the article’s case study analyses German-Polish compromise-building behind their similar positions towards the EU’s anti-Russian sanctions from 2014. It argues that mainly Poland transferred from Germany’s milder approach towards the sanctions, thus recognising Germany’s stronger influence over this EU policy. However, also Germany adopted some Polish Russo-sceptical positions because it recognised Polish expertise in the context of the dominant CFSP-level critique of Russia.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Europeanisation may be also defined in other ways, for example, as the process of EU enlargement, an export of European norms to the international system, or building a distinct European identity (Ladrech 2010, 13).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Patryk Czułno

Patryk Czulno is currently a Lecturer in European Politics at the University of Bristol. He is also a Jean Monnet Research Associate and a former postgraduate research scholarship holder at the University of Bristol. He holds a PhD from the University of Bristol and a Master's degree from the University of Vienna, and he also completed an exchange study at Erasmus University Rotterdam.