Poland as a new regional power

This work concerns the question whether it is possible to consider Poland a new regional power in the Central and/or Eastern Europe. The work is based on constructivist viewpoint and it therefore examines the self-perception of Poland and the perception of its role by other relevant actors. It establishes a definition of a regional power, by which a regional power is a state that considers itself to be such power, that is considered to be such power by other relevant actors, that provides public goods in its region and the projects its ideology onto the secondary regional actors. I examine how well does Poland fit into these criteria. It surely considers itself a regional power and is even considered one by its western allies. Its actual acting as a regional power is complicated, though, by its insufficient economic power (in comparison with, for example, Germany) as it does not allow him an effective provision of public goods. Also its regional ideology is not sufficiently coherent and inclusive and interesting for the other actors. Besides all that, it is faced by a Russian competition in the Eastern Europe and by the indifference of the potential secondary actors in the Central Europe, as they tend to orientate themselves to Germany, rather than Poland. Poland undeniably has the potential to..