Key points
Niche – Poland lacks an in-depth conversation about Europe. Most of Poland’s major conferences focus on the economy, industry, transatlantic topics, and security. At the recently concluded Strategic Arc conference organised by the Polish Institute of International Affairs (PISM), European issues were discussed mainly during panels devoted to the war in Ukraine, security, and transatlantic relations. In its message, the Warsaw Security Forum organised by the Kazimierz Pulaski Foundation also highlights the topics of security and transatlantic cooperation. In Poland, events that focus on European topics are often academic. Apart from the EFNI in Sopot, such events are also niche and do not reach a wide audience.
Risks - for Poland's presence in the EU. Although studies have not shown it yet, it can be expected that Poles’ attitude towards the EU will deteriorate. Since Poland joined the EU, the level of support for membership has remained very high, and the country’s presence in the EU is, in theory, safe. On the other hand, as the latest CBOS poll shows, for the first time ever, there are more supporters of the statement that Poland's presence in the EU threatens the country’s sovereignty than its opponents. Moreover, it can be assumed that the financial conditions of the next budget perspective will almost certainly be less favourable for Poland. It will also face difficult topics in the European debate, such as the rising costs of the energy transition, the reform of the common agricultural policy, or Brussels' changing approach to the rule of law. The number of groups and politicians who are building their support on anti-European slogans is also increasing.
Trends - which are rarely and briefly talked about. On the other hand, the EU is more than just political jostling and short-term crisis management. As these topics dominate media coverage in Europe, discussions on the single market, the benefits of the energy transition, or the building of the defence industry are rare and do not reach a broader public debate. The understanding of the dilemmas faced by the EU is also low – a good example is the discussion on digital issues, in which topics related to regulation seem to break through but no reflection is offered on the development of the digital economy, pan-European cooperation, or the creation of a regulatory environment that would enable European companies to grow safely and responsibly. This is a problem of debate in Poland, but also more broadly, in Europe - and does not relieve Poland of the obligation to deal with these topics.
Solutions – reflection is needed on Poland's place in the EU and Europe in the minds of Polish elites. Discussions that changed the world's history were rarely held with the participation of the public. Nevertheless, at Polityka Insight we feel the need for an in-depth, calm, and substantive conversation about Europe. We intend to create a space for joint reflection on the challenges and dangers, but above all, the opportunities offered by Poland's membership in the EU. We want to engage politicians from all parties (although not necessarily during the election campaign), as well as Polish and European business sectors and foreign businesses that operate in Europe. Finally, we want to benefit from the wisdom that can be shared by experts and encourage them to talk about specific threats and solutions.
Operationalisation - participants, panellists, business sector, society. PI has invited the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) to co-organise the Warsaw European Conversation (WEC) - we are supported by Piotr Burak, the head of the Warsaw office of the think tank and his team. It is very important for us that as many participants as possible come to the WEC from countries outside Europe as well as Europe itself. We believe that just as there is a lack of understanding in Poland of the processes that govern Europe, Western Europe’s understanding of Poland's political sensitivity, our limitations and conditions has deteriorated. That is why we want to invite representatives of European businesses, media, expert circles, as well as politicians. This year we are taking a step in that direction, although we are aware of the long road ahead. European opinion leaders must feel that it is worthwhile coming to Warsaw and talking with Poles about Europe.
the bottom line
At PI, we really enjoyed WEC's predecessor, Risks and Trends. Nevertheless, for several years we had a growing conviction that the risks included in the name were displacing trends, and the number of business conferences continued to increase beyond measure. As a result, after careful consideration, in the tenth year of Polityka Insight, we decided to close that chapter and tackle a more difficult and - in our opinion - more important topic. For this project to succeed, we need to engage you, our subscribers, in this conversation and create a community of people who are curious and reflective about what the common European good is. Therefore, we would like to invite you to the Warsaw European Conversation. 
