Bridges Across the Atlantic? Attitudes of Poles, Czechs and Slovaks Towards the United States

Издательство: Institute of Public Affairs

ISBN: 83-89817-30-6

“(…) For the new member states, including Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, EU accession meant fulfilling the goals set at the end of the Cold War – their aspiration to fully integrate with the Western world, including the EU and NATO. Paradoxically enough, their dreams had been fulfilled at the very moment that serious cracks began to appear on the thus far homogenous surface of the West, which placed countries such as Poland in a really awkward situation. Their partners on both sides of the Atlantic demanded that they make a definite choice. Both French President Jacques Chirac and US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld expected the choice to be either America or Europe. None of the countries of the region were eager to make such a decision. Maintaining the integrity of the West, and even having to face accusations of pro – Americanism, became the fundamental goal of their foreign policies (…)”.