Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
5th Politics and International Relations Congress, Trabzon, Türkiye, 14 - 16 Eylül 2022, ss.35-36
International crises, especially armed
conflict, carry the potential to change perceptions, priorities and alliances.
As a major moment of European history as well as the world system, the invasion
of Eastern Ukraine by Russia in 2022 has triggered various responses in the
European Union (EU). At first glance, the EU appears to demonstrate a unified
front, which it has failed to do during previous crises affecting all member
states. Due to centrifugal forces such as the rise of Euroskepticism and right-wing
populism, such unity is an existential matter for the EU. Since the communities
became a union, the EU had mostly performed in parallel with its popular
depiction as a politically weak institution despite its economic integration. Therefore,
its response to the Russian aggression is vital for demonstrating its capacity
as an actor in world politics. The current crisis brought upon various initiatives
for solidarity with Ukraine by the EU, ranging from humanitarian assistance to
sanctions against Russia. By June 2022, Ukraine’s EU membership became a much
closer possibility than before.
Poland and Hungary are among the post-communist
regimes which turned towards the West and joined the EU as part of their post-Cold
War policy orientation. These two countries have also increased their cooperation
within Central Europe, under the Visegrad Group (V4). In the past decade, V4
became a bloc within the EU and refused to cooperate with other EU members in
response to the Syrian refugee crisis. Governed by Euroskeptic, populist right-wing
political parties, Poland and Hungary came under the spotlight for their systematic
breach of fundamental EU values; human rights and rule of law. This situation
brought the two countries in tension with other member states and EU
institutions. An increasing number of infringement cases were opened against
these states at the European Court of Justice, which they lost.
Having demonstrated a unified front for matters
under the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice of the EU, Poland and Hungary
have become diverged in response to the war in Ukraine. Whereas Poland
demonstrates more responsibility and solidarity with other EU members in
support of EU-level actions, Hungarian policy reflects uncertainties, due to
its previous relationships with Russia and Ukraine.
The aim of this paper is to reveal and evaluate
the positions of Poland and Hungary in response to the 2022 Russia-Ukraine war,
in the context of their EU membership. The paper adopts a qualitative,
comparative methodology. By determining Polish and Hungarian governments’
discourses and actions in various fields of under the EU’s solidarity with
Ukraine, it seeks to detect whether the apparent divergence in their positions signal
a permanent rift between the two countries - which would signal a breakdown in
the V4 bloc - and a change in their standing within the EU.
Keywords: Poland, Hungary, Russia-Ukraine War, EU membership