A cool reception
By Mirko Kaupat
Even though the turnout in the European Union referendum was not overwhelmingly high, there was widespread optimism in the country after Poland's membership was finally decided. But all too quickly rationality replaced euphoria - because of the EU itself.
Before the referendum, the Yes camp urged the public to see the accession as an opportunity more for their children than for themselves. But just a few days later everyone was brought down to earth again by the present. The European Convention is just about to complete its work on the first European Constitution, and decisions are being made now that the Polish negotiators are reporting as not favorable for the country.
The most important and emotionally provocative matter for this deeply religious country was the issue of addressing God in the document's preamble. The Polish negotiators wanted to stress the significance of Christianity for the development of the European community. Both of these demands were ignored completely by the majority of convention delegates, and no mention of God was made in the latest Constitution draft.
In quite an unusual turn of events, all political parties in Warsaw condemned this failure and blamed France and the head of the convention, former French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing, for this lapse. Many said that France should not force their secular traditions upon the whole of Europe. All of a sudden, a fundamental difference of values appeared between Poland and the EU. Whereas the matter of God and Christianity in the Constitution was widely discussed here, in other countries like Germany it was a non-issue. Moreover, Poland failed to preserve the voting system favorable to the country as had been agreed upon in the Nice Treaty. According to the Treaty, Poland was to have almost as many votes as Germany and France. Now the number is about to diminish. And for the passing of EU laws and statutes, in the future a majority of the member states will be enough if they represent at least 60 percent of EU citizens, an act which threatens to limit Poland's influence as well.
The opposition PiS party strongly criticized the draft and called for a referendum on the matter to be held next summer.
Yet another problem has arisen concerning EU-Poland relations. A poll published last week showed shrinking support for accession within all of the current EU countries. Obviously, the support for the U.S.-led Iraqi war that the central European accession countries displayed, and their tough stance on negotiations in Copenhagen, damaged their reputation in Europe. Many now believe that Polish hearts beat for the U.S., but money from Brussels is always welcome.
However, there is reason to hope that the resentment is merely temporary and Poland's commitment to Europe in the referendum will repair the country's tattered reputation on the continent.
