The Polish presidency of the Council of the European Union opens a particular window opportunity for the intensification of Dutch-Polish cooperation. The priorities of Warsaw’s European policy coincide with those of the Hague, particularly in the context of European security and reconcile regarding policy towards the countries of the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership. KEW, alongside Clingendael decided to contribute to strengthening Polish-Dutch alliance by publishing the policy paper „We shall maintain: the Netherlands and Poland facing European and transatlantic challenges together”, written by Adam Balcer and Tony van der Togt. It is based on deliberations of the first Dutch-Polish round table on security and EU enlargement, which took place in Wojnowice in November 2024. The round table was organized within the framework of initiative „General Maczek Dialogues” co-funded by the Embassy of the Netherlands to Poland.
The objectives of the policy paper are to bring Poland and the Netherlands closer in terms of security collaboration within the framework of EU and NATO in response to the threat originating from Russia; facilitate approximation of threat perceptions caused by the Russian war against Ukraine and the drastic change in American policy under Donald Trump related to it; assure exchange of experiences and build resilience of democratic values for more effective assistance to EU candidate countries. Finally, the policy paper assumes that Poland and the Netherlands should work together to enhance the geopolitical role of the EU as a global actor.
The paper indicates potential areas of deepened and enhanced military cooperation between Poland and the Netherlands, based on the resources already present in both countries, the EU and the NATO, respectively. The authors of the document also point out a particular importance of dialogue aimed at bringing closer the threat perceptions of countries of Central-Eastern Europe and Western and Southern Europe.
The document analyses in depth similarities and differences of the Polish and Dutch positions on the EU enlargement paying a special attention to domestic factors shaping them. The topic of EU enlargement is also presented through the prism of geopolitical, strategic, security and identity fundamental implications and in relation to serious challenges stemming from the regression of democracy in Europe.
The policy paper also includes concrete recommendations for the Netherlands and Poland, including increase of support for Ukraine, building a „coalition of the willing” to expand European defence capabilities and continue the EU enlargement process, further rise of military spending and strengthening the resilience of civil society in EU member states and candidate countries in order to fight back against the democratic backsliding, foreign interference and hybrid war waged by Russia.
Read the whole document: We-shall-maintain.
