On 10 and 12 June, debates involving scientists, experts and local government officials took place as part of the project “(Re)uniting the East and West: Reflections on the 2004 EU enlargement” (REWEU). The project aims to honour the 20th anniversary of the so-called ‘Big Bang’ – the biggest enlargement in the history of the EU (10 new members), which also saw Poland join the Community. The project aims to encourage reflection on the consequences of enlargement 20 years ago for Europe, the EU and its Member States. It also focuses on the lessons for current candidates arising from the Big Bang. We organised both events in cooperation with universities to emphasise the importance of education and the need to engage young people in public debate and the importance of intergenerational dialogue in discussing the future of the European Union and the enlargement process.
On 10 June, we visited the Faculty of History of Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań to discuss the role of education and culture in the European Union integration process. Guests were welcomed by Adam Balcer, Programme Director of KEW and Dr Agnieszka Smólczyńska-Wiechetek, Head of Eastern Studies at the Adam Mickiewicz University. The debate ‘EU Enlargement University: the role of education and culture in the process of European integration’ was attended by Prof. Łukasz Donaj from the Department of International Relations at the Adam Mickiewicz University; Dr. Anastasya Baukova from the History Department of the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv and Dr. Magda Lachowicz, a lecturer of Eastern Studies at the Adam Mickiewicz University. The debate was moderated by Adam Balcer.
Using Poland and Ukraine as an example, the panellists demonstrated the fundamental importance of the European integration process for improving the quality of higher education in the Member States and candidate countries. They also presented the most important limitations and challenges for the further development of inter-university cooperation in Europe. They also proposed concrete solutions to overcome these weaknesses or at least to significantly reduce them. They emphasised that the problems are often due to bureaucratic reasons, but also to growing nationalism and authoritarian tendencies in many EU countries (including Poland). The latter pose a key threat to both European integration and research freedom and university autonomy. The debate provoked a lively reaction from the assembled students and academic staff, who asked numerous questions and commented on the panellists’ statements.
On 12 June, the debate moved to Opole. At Collegium Civitas of the University of Opole, we discussed the rights of national minorities in the process of EU enlargement. The students, lecturers and media gathered in the hall were welcomed by Adam Balcer, Programme Director of KEW and Prof. Krzysztof Zuba, Head of the Department of European Studies. The meeting began with a lecture by Dr Katarzyna Kownacka, Director of the Department of Religions and National and Ethnic Minorities of the Ministry of Interior and Administration, on the legal situation of national minorities in Poland, our neighbours and several selected EU countries. This was followed by a debate on the ‘European Union of Minorities. Rights of national minorities and the process of EU enlargement” with the participation of Dr Irina Tkeshelashvili, member of Team Europe Direct Poland, Dr Magdalena Lenartowicz, President of the Europa Iuvenis Association, Rafał Bartek, President of the Opole Regional Assembly and the Social and Cultural Association of Germans in Opole Silesia, and Dr Marek Mazurkiewicz, Plenipotentiary of the Opole Regional Governor for National and Ethnic Minorities. The debate was moderated by Adam Balcer.
During the talks, examples of the functioning of national minorities within EU countries were presented, both in legal and political aspects, but also in practice. The case of Germans in Poland, particularly in Opole Silesia, and Catalans in Spain were discussed. The Catalan example also opened up a discussion on the problematic issue of singling out new national distinctions in European states from the general population. Of particular interest to the audience was a closer look at the realities of Georgian politics, including the country’s path to the European Union. Although Georgia had been considered a frontrunner among EU candidates in previous years, anti-democratic and perceived as pro-Russian changes to the country’s legislation, leading to mass protests by Georgians, pushed the prospect of Community membership further away from Georgia.
The debate in Opole was at the same time the inauguration of the Regional Centre for International Debate (RODM) in the Lower Silesian and Opole Voivodeships. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland has entrusted KEW with the management of RODM in both provinces from 2025 to 2026.
