The democratic breakthrough of 1989 ended the cold-war confrontation and initiated fundamental social and political changes in the European, as well as the global context. The last expansion of the European Union eradicated the historic division of post-war Europe. The expanded European Union of 27 states now faces the challenge of internal consolidation, of establishing relations with the new neighbour countries and of defining, anew, its role in the world.

EU integration
Yet, the expanded Union has slowed down the pace of its internal reforms. Rejection of the European Constitution by France and the Netherlands, and of the Lisbon Treaty by Ireland, reflect the difficulties in negotiating a joint position for all 27 member states, as well as the deficit of civil participation in the European project, which is too difficult to handle for the Union’s political elites. For Euro-sceptical political decision-makers from the “new” Union, the Irish “No” to the Treaty is a pretext for blocking its ratification. At present, slowing the pace of internal reforms limits the Union’s effectiveness in the European and the global dimension, as well as its capacity for further expansion.

The Eastern Neighbours
The European Neighbourhood Policy only partially stands up to the challenges of the EU’s neighbourhood to the East. Ukraine, which after the “Orange Revolution” has aimed for faster integration with the Euro-Atlantic structures, is disappointed with its clear lack of perspectives for participation in the ENP. Due to the deficit of democracy, and violations of human rights, Belarus can participate in the policy to a very limited degree. The European Union’s largest neighbour – Russia – perceives both potential and actual tightening of cooperation between the Union and the former Soviet republics of Belarus and Ukraine, as intrusion into its sphere of influence, which often leads to conflicts and irritation between the EU and Russia. Different historical experiences and interests of the “old” and the “new” member states in relation to Russia make it difficult to determine a joint position on the shape of the relations between Russia and the Union.

Europe and the Trans-Atlantic
The end of the cold-war confrontation made it necessary to redefine the international order and to reform the multilateral institutions. Today’s European Union wants to internationally play the political role adequate to its economic potential. The aim is not to balance the US, but to take more partner responsibility in acting for global security and peace. In the context of their historical experiences, the attitudes of the “new” EU countries towards the US are specific. Support of the new member states for the military intervention in Iraq, or bilateral decisions about construction of the anti-rocket shield on Poland and the Czech Republic, have contributed to tensions within the Union.

The Warsaw Office of the Heinrich Böll Foundation creates space for dialogue about topical European political issues. Those include the future of the Lisbon Treaty, the Common Foreign and Security Policy, the challenges of the Eastern Neighbourhood, including the Union’s relations with Ukraine, Belarus and Russia, as well as the Trans-Atlantic relations from the European perspective. The European identity and the shared values constitute a topic and a point of reference for debates within the European Union, discussions with neighbouring European countries, as well as for the Euro-Atlantic dialogue.