The evolution of Polish-German relations in the context of EU enlargement : the limits to Europeanisation

This thesis studies the Europeanisation of bilateral relations of EU member states, with the Polish-German relationship as a crucial case study. The starting point is the question whether bilateral relations can become Europeanised, as domestic structures do, as an effect of EU enlargement. To test this thesis, this thesis puts forward a competitive-testing design which develops the three IR-theories of realism, liberalism and constructivism, and in which elements of rational-choice institutionalism and sociological institutionalism are integrated. With the testing based on three theories and the integrated elements of neo-institutionalism, this thesis investigates first the dynamics behind change in bilateral relations and Second, the channels through which influence from the EU institutional framework operates. The Polish-German case is presented as a crucial-case study, as it is a set of relations in which a positive change in relations is most likely to occur, given the shared historical burden. On the basis of a survey of publicly accessible documents and semi-structured elite interviews, the thesis presents three groups of units of analysis covering different facets of bilateral relations: the role of history in relations, EU-related issues in the relationship, and the bilateral relations in a multilateral context. Through investigating whether bilateral relations can successfully become Europeanised, a contribution is sought to be made to knowledge on the dynamics of EU enlargement. In addition, the analysis of Polish-German relations between 1994 and 2010 forms a new contribution to the existing knowledge on this interesting case.