Polacy w wyborach do Parlamentu Europejskiego
POLES IN THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ELECTIONS

Summary/Abstract: The attitude of the Polish society towards European integration in general and Polish membership in the European Union in particular has changed positively ever since the accession negotiations. In comparison with the citizens of other countries that joined the EU in 2004, Poles send most letters to the European Parliament; they display genuine interest in the structure and political role of the EP, the activity of its members, the proceedings before European Court of Human Rights, the relations of the European Union with Russia, Ukraine, USA, China and India, the status and salary of the EP members, as well as employment opportunities in the European institutions. Comparing the 2004 and 2009 European Parliament elections, one is justified in ascribing more political maturity to the Polish voters in 2009. The turnout was a bit higher and, most importantly, Polish representatives in the Parliament are now better educated and politically experienced. Generally speaking, based on observations from 2004 and 2009, the EP elections are not the most significant factor in judging a society’s acceptance for the process of European integration, both in Poland and the other 26 member states. The important criteria are, among others, accession referenda, the approval for the adaptation of domestic legal systems to the EU law, and the degree of acceptance for the EU policies expressed in other forms.

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