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Project DPWS
Poland and Germany in the European Union. New forms and models of bilateral relations in foreign policy and cross-border cooperation
The project is carried out by Dr hab. Elżbieta Opiłowska (OBROP) and Dr Monika Sus (Hertie School of Governance, Berlin) in cooperation with the Center for Interdisciplinary Polish Studies (ZIP) at the European University Viadrina. It explores the dynamics of the bilateral relationship between Germany and Poland in the context of their membership in the European Union and examines the interdependencies between these three actors (Germany, Poland and the EU) through two case studies – foreign&security policy and cross-border cooperation. The point of departure for the project is the recognition that there is a need for development of a renewed research framework that would grasp the complexity of bilateral relations between two Member States taking into account the influence of the EU. The project focuses on Poland and Germany and refers to categories that have been used in the analysis of German-Polish relations (community of values and interests, asymmetry in the bilateral relationship, Germany′s role as a lawyer in Poland′s accession to the EU, partnership and experienced neighborhood). Yet, the research framework that the project aims to contribute to, should be transferable and could be later useful for studying bilateral relations between other countries.Thus, the study contributes to a better understanding of current conditions and challenges of the European integration. Taking into account that the EU has been in a constant state of crisis since 2007 and the role of nation states is being questioned, a profound analysis of the ways of cooperation and their impact on the supranational level seems to be necessary.
The project takes into consideration the latest developments in the German-Polish cooperation and focuses on the following research questions:
- How have the bilateral relations between Germany and Poland developed in foreign policy and cross-border cooperation since 2004?
- To what extent are these bilateral relations influenced by the membership of the European Union?
- How do the two states and the regional actors, individually and / or as partners, determine the dynamics on the EU level?
- What are the models or ways of cooperation as well as the external and internal factors that enhance or limit potential cooperation at the regional, state and EU level?
The project is funded by the German-Polish Science Foundation
