Balance of Poland’s membership of the European Union to date and its prospects in the 21st century

Abstract

The author of the article analyses the balance of Poland’s membership of the
European Union (EU) to date. He presents the costs Poland incurred in connection
with the accession and the political, social, economic and international
benefits gained. He analyses successes and failures of Poland’s EU policy in the
period 2004–2018 and shows its prospects in the light of the EU evolution today
and in the future. Thus, the article is aimed at trying to present the influence
of accession on the social, political and economic situation in Poland as well as
on the change of its position and role on the international arena. Explicitly, it is
devoted to positive and negative effects of Poland’s accession of the EU and the
prospects of our membership of the European Union and its future.