Cover Osteuropa 1/2008

In Osteuropa 1/2008

More USA = More Security?
A Premise of Polish Foreign Policy Put to the Test

Daria W. Dylla


Deutsche Fassung

Abstract

Poland’s security policy motto runs: America first. This was shown by Warsaw’s support for the Iraq war and the debate over the construction of a U.S. missile defence system on Polish territory. But whether Poland increases its security with a one-sided orientation towards the United States is disputed. Why sending Polish soldiers to Iraq is to increase Poland’s security was something Warsaw was never able to explain plausibly. In the debate over the missile system, a change has begun to take shape in the meantime. Since the new Polish government’s accession to office in autumn 2007, Warsaw has once again been emphasising cooperative security more strongly. The United States remain security partner No. 1, but the EU partners are not to be alienated.

(Osteuropa 1/2008, pp. 63–76)