Shifting opinions in the borderland. EU’s perception in Poland.

Enlargement of the EU was not only an important and far-reaching change for the EU, its old member states and institutions, it also caused changes in the perception of European Integration in the new member states. These changes were not only positive. The “acquis communitaire” linked to the access to the Schengen space and its impact on the economic and social life of border regions was one of the main factors, which shaped negative perceptions about EU membership. For many residents, applying Schengen standards meant a sharp decrease in business opportunities, a crunch of petty cross border trade, reduced income and even bankruptcy. The implementation of the Schengen requirements also considerably reduced the possibilities of ethnic minorities on both sides of the border to keep in contact with the culture of the respective country of reference. It is the aim of this paper, to provide an overview about these shifts of the EU’s perception in the Polish borderland. This overview will be based on opinion polls, which were being carried out during the years before and after EU accession and before and after the gradual adoption of the Schengen “acquis” by Poland. In a next step, the paper examines, whether these shifts in the EU’s perception can be linked to the changes of the border regime, or whether other variables with a higher impact on these perceptions can be identified. This research is informed by neofunctionalism and examines, whether it is possible to explain the changes in the borderland by referring to the notion of “spill over” and “shifting loyalties” of key stakeholders.