Three decades of European (dis-) integration: comparative visions from Poland, Ukraine and Belarus
Résumé
The presentation will address the perspectives of the three biggest Cenral Eastern European post-communist states – Poland, Ukraine, and Belarus – on (dis-)integration. The first demonstrated “total break away” from the “failed” communist system and launched an ambitious “European integration” programme as early as 1989; the second performed a “hybrid break away” and continues struggling to combine communist legacies with democratic aspirations; the third had “no break away” as if communism disintegration never happened which allows the incumbent President Lukashenka to remain in power regardless of numerous protests. The presentation will focus on outlining the dynamics/evolution of (dis-)integration processes and discourses during the last 30 years. For instance, Poland switched to “EU integration” in the 1990’s and, as of today, nurtures the major European “disintegrative narratives”: it compares. Brussels to the communist Kremlin. In turn, Ukraine did not fully accept the crisis of the communist system in the 1990s and today is trying to catch up with its own “hybrid” idea of European integration. Finally, Belarus is yet to invent its vision and discourses of Europan integration.