Who belongs to Europe? : perceptions of the future EU enlargement in the Polish society

EU enlargement was heralded as the most successful EU policy in external relations. However, after the "Big Bang" enlargement that brought 13 new member states to the EU between 2004-2013, the prospects for further enlargement are dim. Both elites and citizens are contesting the concept of further widening of the EU. Various arguments are being used in the debates on enlargement today. The elite mostly use political, economic and security arguments arguing about the EU enlargement, however the arguments stressing culture, religion and identity are also very salient in public debates. Citizens perceive the latter as very important for whom they regard as eligible candidates for the EU. This is especially visible in the case of the Turkish candidacy. The main aim of this chapter is to detect how ordinary citizens perceive further EU enlargement and to what extent their opinions on the further expansion of the EU overlap with the elite’s discourse. The chapter is based on the analysis of approximately 200 interviews with Poles conducted in six local communities between 2013 and 2014.