Poland is a Central European country with Warsaw as its capital city. The country is a parliamentary republic where the government structure is centred on the council of ministers and the prime minister and president function respectively as the head of government and the head of state. The country is divided into 16 provinces and the administration at each regional level is shared between a governor, a regional assembly and an executive, all of whom are elected dignitaries.
Poland became a member state of the European Union in May 2004 as an outcome of the 2003 Treaty of Accession signed in Athens. The process of integrating Poland into the EU had actually started with its application for membership in Athens on 8 April, 1994.
Like Hungary, Poland too is under the constant radar of the European Union.
For the past few years, Poland has been showing a considerable amount of Euroscepticism towards the functional aspects of the EU. Together with Hungary, the country has frequently stood up against the long-established rules and values of the European Union, even though they are members. They have also voiced against the supremacy of the EU law and have been evading rulings from the bloc’s highest court. The Polish court also perceives some articles of the European Union’s treaties as unconstitutional. This has widened the gap between the country and Brussels.
The EU has responded with strict disciplinary actions and warnings, but in Budapest (capital of Hungary) and Warsaw, they have been perceived as empty threats.
There are 51 members of the European Parliament from Poland and it is the fifth most populous member state of the EU.
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