Poland – A new power in transatlantic security

Book abstract:

Poland has occupied a pivotal role in Europe's history and its geopolitical position makes it one of Europe's strategic centres. Membership of NATO in March 1999 and entry into the EU in May 2004 place important responsibilities upon Poland, not least its contribution to security. The contributions to this work examine Poland's prospects and potential to play a full participating role. The ten essays explore Poland's relations with five allies or neighbours - the USA, France, Germany, Britain and Ukraine. They question the changing nature of the transatlantic relationship in the post Cold War scenario and examine the implications for Poland. The defensive pattern to Poland's security policy and how this conditions its response to NATO policies of eastern enlargement, missile defence and military intervention is explored. Whilst Poland has largely succeeded in reforming its institutions and its civil-military relationships, modernisation of its equipment has lagged. The strengthening of the Poland-USA relationship features in several of the essays which comment upon its effect upon other relationships within NATO and potentially the EU.

The work will interest students, scholars, policy makers and researchers engaged in the fields of international relations, defence studies and European politics.

Marcin Zabborowski is Lecturer in European Politics at Aston University in Birmingham, and Honorary Fellow at the Centre for International Relations in Warsaw.

David Dunn is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Political Science and International Relations at the University of Birmingham.