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8
Introduction
Nevertheless,thetimeisnowrightforsomerstattemptsatanoverallencapsu-
lationofThird-Republicforeignpolicy.Thisissobecauseofthenumberofyears
thathavenowpassedsince1989,butalsoonaccountofthesheersignicanceof
whathasbeenachieved.Furthermore,thetimeisripeforsuchworkbecausethemost
recentperiodhasseentheemergenceofattitudestothepost-1989foreignpolicy
thatrangefrommisunderstanding,viamisinformation,throughtooccasionalquite
radicalattemptsatdisavowal.Ingeneral,theissuehasbecomeamatterofdispute,
orindeedpoliticalconict.Ofcourse,itisonlyrightandproperthateverysphere
ofpubliclifeorstatepolicypastorpresentbeleftopentoquestion.Indeed,
bothdoubtsandcriticalanalysesareinorder,buttheyoughttobebasedaround
afamiliaritywiththesubject,andbebereftofideologicalprejudice.Incontrast,the
mainimpressiontobegainedfromwhatweinfactwitnessisthatanysharpercriti-
cismofPolishdiplomacyisprimarilymotivatedbythefactthatthecriticswerenot
themselvesinvolvedineitherthatpolicy,screationoritsimplementation.
Yet,forallthecriticalpotshotsnowbeingtakenatThird-Republicforeignpolicy
(andwritersarecertainlynotholdingbackfromtheirrighttoengageincriticism),
therehasbeennosuccesswhateverincounteringtheprincipalthesis,whichis
simplythattherewasneveranyrealalternativetothepolicyactuallypursued.This
isnottosaythatsomematterscouldnothavebeendealtwithbetterordifferently
(fordifferently,i.e.better,willalwaysbeanoption).Whatismore,noteverything
thatwasdoneneededtobedone,andnoteverythingbroughtthehoped-foreffects,
sincenoteverythingcouldbeforeseenatthetimeinitiativeswerelaunchedor
decisionstaken.Nevertheless,theaspectsreasonablyregardedasthepolicy,smain
attainmentsi.e.theregulatingofdifcultbilateralrelations,aswellastheacces-
sionstoNATOandtheEuropeanUnioncouldnothavebeenachievedmorerap-
idlythantheyinfactwere,orindeedundermorefavourablecircumstances.Allthe
actionsformingpartoftheThirdRepublic,sforeignpolicyweretakenwithaview
tosovereigntybeingrestored,securityobtained,andtheconditionsforeconomic
andcivilisationaldevelopmentputinplace.Themostprofoundpurposeunder-
pinningthepolicyfromitsveryrstyearswastheassuringofPolishlibertyand
independence,astheseweretobebasedonsuchsolidfoundationsaspermanence
ofborders,goodneighbourlyrelations,security,economicgrowthandasufcient
levelofautonomytoallowthecountrytoplayitsfullpartamongthenationsof
Europeintheshapingofmattersaffectingitssurroundings.
*
ConsiderationofthersttenorsoyearsofforeignpolicyintheThirdRepublic
ofPolandledtheauthortoconcludethat,wherecontentwasconcerned,thelayout
ofanybookonthesubjectbasicallydecideditself.For,initssubstanceasithas
evolvedovertime,thesaidpolicyhaswellreectedtheclassicacademictypology
developedtodescribetheobjectivesapplyingtoanyforeignpolicyofanystate.