EU membership limit Poland? 58 percent Poles still trust the Union, the young do not remember how it was without her
– Our membership in the community has a stabilizing effect on the Polish legal system – state representatives of Team Europe at the representation of the European Commission in Poland. And they add that it is not so that EU law is imposed on the Member States, which, after all, participate in its creation. The percentage of people who declare trust in the Union persists in Poland higher than the EU average, but you can also see more and more opinions about the threat to domestic sovereignty.
The new eurobarometer study (edition of Spring 2025) indicates that 52 percent Europeans have confidence in the EU, which is the highest result since 2007. Among Poles, the percentage is slightly higher and amounts to 58 percent. Domestic institutions – government and parliament – trust much fewer people. Almost seven out of 10 respondents in Europe agrees with the statement that the European Union is a stable place against the background of the restless world. 88 percent He estimates that cooperation between countries and regions of the world should be more based on principles.
– We are elsewhere in Europe. We are in a different place social. We are a more diverse society. We got used to the fact that we are in the place of freedom. We have lost a bit aware that this is not something that we are given forever, that this European project, a project to create a certain community, which is a great value, is something that you need to take care of every day, which you need to remember, what you need to talk about, especially with generations of the youngest Polish citizens. We have a large group of people in Poland who does not remember a world other than the world of freedom in the European Union – says Newseria agency dr hab. Anna Doliwa-Klepacka, professor at the Faculty of Law of the University of Bialystok, member of the Team Europe at the representation of the European Commission in Poland.
The expert indicates that the presence of Poland in the European Union is of great importance in the context of a legal order and stabilizing it.
– Remember that countries that have previously been in the European Union are more mature democracies, with a more fixed conviction to the rule of law and the rules of democracy. Societies are also more familiar with how mature democracy works. We are still learning. We are more susceptible to, it seems to me instability, but for us it is important because we are a society that learns from the best patterns – explains prof. Anna Doliwa-Klepacka.
CBOS research cyclically conducted indicates that in the last edition of 2024 issues related to the primacy of European law on Polish and restrictions were more often criticized than in 2014 or 2019. There were people who had the feeling that membership in the Union excessively limits Poland's independence. This group was in large numbers to a group of people who claim the opposite (about 43-44 percent). As the expert emphasizes, it should be remembered that it is not the EU that imposes some regulations, regulations, because decisions on these matters are made jointly, not behind Poland and other Member States, but with their participation. The European Parliament, elected by citizens, is because it is the main EU co -cheeker, next to the council, in which states are represented by relevant ministers.
– We also have some social stereotypes, for example, that the rules are to break them, and legal principles in Poland. However, remember that the law is not our enemy, it is an element that helps to organize social relations – emphasizes the lawyer.
This also applies to deregulation, which has recently been very loud. The expert points out that it is necessary to observe the introduced legal regulations and then assess their effectiveness.
– Deregulation is a trend that is also visible in Poland. I mean the regulation of Polish law and a certain need to look from a perspective, when we already have some experiences and observations about how a given regulation works. Sometimes this feedback is such that it is unnecessary or that it should be modified. This review of legislation in terms of potential deregulation is also a good example – conclusions are drawn after some time, whether there are too many regulations, just in time, too little and what to do with it – says prof. Anna Doliwa-Klepacka.
The European Commission has already taken action in this direction. In February this year. published the official document “A Simpler and Faster Europe” for 2024-2029, in which she announces, among others simplification and deregulation of legal provisions. They are to be easier to understand, and thus faster to implement. Importantly, the EU forum does not talk about deregulation, but rather about simplifying the rules.
– It's hard to talk about statistics here. Sometimes the simplification of the legal system is that the existing act and dozens of amending acts are avoided and this whole group is replaced with one new act. Then statistically we have much less. And this is of course a very positive trend in relation to citizens, entrepreneurs, but also all entities obliged to apply the law, it is easier for us to move in this thicket, if the thicket is smaller – adds a member of the Team Europe at the representation of the European Commission in Poland.
