The Round Table commenced with a discussion regarding the current status of Polish-French relations, the future of cooperation between Poland and France within the EU arena, and support for Ukraine’s endeavors to defend its independence against Russia’s full-scale aggression. The meeting participants discussed the mistakes that led to the crisis in relations between our countries and the missed opportunities. They emphasized the need to build our cooperation through multilateral formats such as the Weimar Triangle or to seek common ground wherever possible within the EU. However, the discussants admitted that the scenario of a victory of the far-right in the French parliamentary elections, a good result of the far-left, and a weak result of the pro-presidential forces would deepen the internal crisis, which would be a great challenge for France’s role as a leader in the EU.
The next panel focused on transatlantic relations. The participants of the discussion emphasized that our countries, which in the past often presented different positions regarding NATO, have been brought closer by the war in Ukraine and the uncertainty caused by the upcoming presidential elections in the United States. Despite some differences in positions, the importance of strengthening European defense within NATO structures was recognized, as were the initiatives, coordinated with the Pact, within the EU.
The subsequent debate focused on the strategic future of Europe. In recent years France, promoting the idea of greater European independence within the transatlantic community and in global politics (strategic autonomy), has not found an ally in Poland. However, the change of government in Poland after last year’s elections, the increasing need to develop the defense industry of EU countries caused by the threat from Russia, the potential Polish-French cooperation in the field of nuclear energy, and support for Kyiv’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations have brought the positions of the two countries closer together.
The topic that visibly united the participants was the issue of Eastern Europe, the South Caucasus, and Central Asia. Poland has always treated neighboring Eastern Europe as a priority. The war in Ukraine has definitely strengthened this trend. On the other hand, France’s engagement has often been selective and often limited cooperation to cultural diplomacy, e.g. in relations with Armenia and large-scale investments in Kazakhstan. Russia’s full-scale aggression against Ukraine, the granting of candidate status to the EU to three Black Sea countries, the pro-Western turn in Armenia’s policy, and the weakening of Russia’s influence between the Black Sea and China in favor of Ankara and Beijing have also clearly increased the importance of these regions in Paris’ foreign policy, opening up new opportunities for Polish-French cooperation.
In the last panel, we discussed the instability in the Sahel and the Middle East, including the growing influence of Iran and its “proteges,” as well as the involvement of China and Russia in both regions as key challenges for the security of the entire EU. Polish and French participants agreed that, although we have still not used a significant part of our influence, the West’s agency in these places has clear limits. Participants highlighted the necessity for a substantial rise in interest in Poland in these regions.
We hope that the First Polish-French Round Table will be a new beginning for cooperation between experts and diplomats from both countries. We plan to organize it regularly. Certainly, the debates held during it opened both sides to new perspectives and possibilities. They also demonstrated that despite their differing positions, France and Poland can find significant areas of agreement and shared interests. The areas of possible cooperation will be presented in a report prepared jointly by KEW and Euro Creative, which will be published at the end of the year and presented in Paris and Warsaw.
