{
  "id": "RL32966",
  "type": "CRS Report",
  "typeId": "REPORTS",
  "number": "RL32966",
  "active": false,
  "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
  "versions": [
    {
      "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
      "id": 305734,
      "date": "2005-06-21",
      "retrieved": "2016-04-07T19:40:46.560029",
      "title": "Poland: Background and Current Issues",
      "summary": "Poland and the United States have enjoyed close relations, particularly since the terrorist attacks\nof\nSeptember 11, 2001. Warsaw has been a reliable supporter and ally in the global war on terrorism\nand has contributed troops to the U.S.-led coalitions in Afghanistan and in Iraq -- where it assumed\na leading role. Over the past year, however, many Poles have concluded that their country's\ninvolvement in Iraq has increasingly become a political liability, particularly on the domestic front. \nWith elections scheduled for September 2005, the government has announced a phased troop\nwithdrawal. Some Poles have argued that, despite the human casualties and financial costs their\ncountry has borne, their loyalty to the United States has gone unrewarded. Many hope that the Bush\nAdministration will respond favorably by providing increased military assistance, by awarding Iraq\nreconstruction contracts to Polish firms, and by changing its visa policy. \n Poland has had an eventful political scene in recent years. Since 2001, two prime ministers\nhave fallen. Many attribute these turnovers to a series of high-profile scandals. Although the current\ngovernment has steered the nation into the EU and nurtured a strong, export-based economy, polls\nindicate that it may be replaced in the next elections. However, regardless of which parties form the\nnext government, Poland's foreign policy will not likely undergo drastic changes. Poland's\nexport-dependent economy has performed relatively well in recent years; the agricultural sector in\nparticular has responded positively to EU membership. \n A NATO member since 1999, Poland has been restructuring and modernizing its military to\nenable it to respond to out-of-area missions -- an alliance priority. Poland has sought to nurture\ndemocracy in Ukraine and Belarus, and to normalize ties with Russia. Poland has been an active\nmember of NATO and, since May 2004, the European Union. Poland was not reluctant to assert\nitself in a number of issue areas before joining the EU and will likely be even less hesitant to do so\nnow that it is a member. Some analysts argue that, if it continues on its current path, Poland may\nwell emerge as a leading nation in Europe. Although most analysts do not anticipate major changes\nin Polish foreign policy in the near future, some believe that it is inevitable that Poland will draw\ncloser to the EU over the long term.\n This report provides political and economic background on Poland and evaluates current issues\nin U.S.-Polish and Polish-European relations. This report will be updated after Poland's 2005\nelections. For additional information, see  CRS Report RL32967 ,  Poland: Foreign Policy\nTrends ,\nby Carl Ek.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORTS",
      "active": false,
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          "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/RL32966",
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      "topics": []
    }
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Foreign Affairs",
    "Intelligence and National Security",
    "National Defense"
  ]
}