Lithuanian-Poliosh National Minority Quandry: The Case of Bitterness and Antagonism

The Lithuanian-Polish relations have sparked a great deal of uproar in the recent years and only appeared to be getting a lot worse. With six centuries of overlapping history, both nations have a different interpretation of it. If that wasn’t enough, Lithuanians think Poland is egotistical and interfering. Poland on the other hand thinks Lithuania mistreats its ethnic Polish minority—around 6.6% of the population. Both are members of the European Union as well as the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Council of Europe, and NATO, and have implemented most of the major European frameworks and conventions for the protection of national minorities. What one would consider a perfect opportunity for international co-operational success in the region, a great deal of stubbornness and competition strains any potential for a promising collaboration between the two.The goal of this thesis is to explain how two states so historically and politically intertwined have reached the high levels of bitterness and conflict. How do the different historical perspectives convey in today’s perception of the past and how much does the historical past matter in the analysis of current events? How much of a role do international organizations like the Council of Europe and the European Union have to offer in regards to solving the major Lithuanian-Polish dispute over national minorities? How does the issue of national minorities spiral down to the political arena and international relations?