Hans Morgenthau, realizm klasyczny i jego rekomendacje dla polskiej polityki zagranicznej

Hans Morgenthau's theses presented in his monograph Politics Among Nations: The Struggle for Power and Peace which shape the theory of classical realism in international relations still remain valid. Without a doubt, progressing globalisation and regional integration change the conditions in which the struggle for power takes place, but the essence of the international policy, that is states' realisation of their own interests, is still the core of international relations. In case of the European Union it certainly is not competition in its extreme form and European integration frames introduce its remarkable restrictions. However, until the Union has transformed into a federal mechanism resembling a state, any observer of international relations needs to include in their reasoning the national interests game played among its member states. The essence of the power defined by Morgenthau is evolving; the military factor is of far smaller importance today, though ignoring it would be a mistake. The economic elements of the power gain their meaning, including raw materials and new technologies. However, government's efficiency and diplomacy quality, stressed by Morgenthau, still remain exceptionally important. Contemporarily, they should be supplemented with the issue of the state's positive image on the international arena and problems that may be caused if it is lost. Other elements which still remain valid and which have been proposed by classical realism are rules for evaluation of power and mistakes committed at perception of other states' foreign policy, just as mistakes, characterised by Morgenthau, related to wishful approach to international relations and unwillingness to notice facts, if they do not mach our interests and visions. In case of foreign policy models proposed by Hans Morgenthau in his analysis, nowadays we can hardly speak of their pure form, and more and more often states actions on the international arena are a specific mixture of these models. However, the quintessence of states' behaviour typical for each of these models is still applicable. Also mistakes resulting from failure to recognise the nature of other states' foreign policies and wrong own policy implemented in response still exist. Hans Morgenthau theses and assumptions of classical realism stay useful for the Polish foreign policy, also as a signpost for analyses by the Polish diplomacy. Poland's geopolitical situation, including neighbourhood of two key international players – Russia and Germany, should stimulate a reasonable assessment of own power as well as the power and foreign policy type run by both neighbours. Only such assessment allows formulating objectives of the Polish foreign policy, which shall be correct and unbiased by wrong perception of the two players. Such an analysis is enormously difficult, especially in case of the Russian policy, which exists under different conditions than the German one, uses dissimilar instruments to compete for power and is not as predictable as the policy of the EU member states. So, if in case of the conservative German policy, if Morgenthau's typology were to be used, the Polish foreign policy shall only respond with a compromise and a search for options to adapt interests, then any reaction to the Russian policy must not only be based on looking for a compromise but it should also include, without giving up dialogue, elements of deterrence.