Czynnikiem determinującym charakter stosunków brytyjsko-kosowskich jest ogromna dysproporcja potencjałów obu państw we wszystkich możliwych sferach. Nieposiadające pełnego uznania międzynarodowego, słabe pod względem ekonomicznym Kosowo nie może stanowić partnera dla Wielkiej Brytanii, dysponującej niekwestionowaną pozycją na płaszczyźnie gospodarczej, politycznej i militarnej. Nie znajduje się ono również w centrum zainteresowań brytyjskich, a wzajemne kontakty zostały nawiązane niejako przy okazji wypełniania przez Brytyjczyków „moralnego zobowiązania”, a nie na podstawie racjonalnych przesłanek. W tym kontekście obowiązująca formuła relacji opiera się na założeniu brytyjskiego paternalizmu, który wyraża się oddziaływaniem na kierunki aktywności politycznej oraz rozwój gospodarczy i społeczny Kosowa, a także występowaniem w obronie interesów Kosowa przed społecznością międzynarodową (w szczególności na forum Unii Europejskiej i NATO). Natomiast mieszkańcy Kosowa poprzez korzystanie z udzielanej przez Brytyjczyków na bieżąco pomocy wojskowej, politycznej i finansowej oraz udostępnienie know- -how zaciągnęli wobec Wielkiej Brytanii dług wdzięczności, którego spłata jest tym trudniejsza, że ani jej termin, ani warunki nie mają wymiaru formalnego. Nie ulega jednak wątpliwości, że w przypadku wejścia Kosowa do Unii Europejskiej i NATO istnieje spora szansa, że kosowscy politycy będą głosowali w tych organizacjach w sposób odpowiadający życzeniom brytyjskim. Dalekosiężna polityka Wielkiej Brytanii zmierzająca do pozyskania przyszłego sojusznika wewnątrz struktur europejskich wydaje się zatem przynosić pożądane efekty, służąc równocześnie stabilizacji i rozwojowi tej części Bałkanów Zachodnich.

The role of Harold Macmillan in the work of the Assembly of the Council of Europe between 1949 and 1951

European issues were obviously very close to Harold Macmillan’s heart from the beginning of his political path, which goes back to 1924. This paper looks at the activities of Harold Macmillan in the Assembly of the Council of Europe between 1949 and 1951 and discusses his views on European cooperation.

Language Problems of the European Union. Between the Idealism of Assumptions, Utilitarian Solutions, and the Need for Communicative Law. Part 1

The presented text is the first part of a broader study dedicated to linguistic issues in the constitutional aspect with reference to the territory of the Republic of Poland and the European Union. Linguistic issues, issues of the official language disappear from the perspective of constitutionalists and researchers dealing with European Union law. However, this is an important problem, given that the interpretation of legal norms is primarily a linguistic interpretation. The text deals with the issue of the official language in Poland, considering it in the constitutional aspect and in specific laws, especially in the law on the Polish language. The concepts of the state language, preferred in the interwar period, were considered. It has been pointed out that language is an element of identity. It causes problems in the area of the European Union. an attempt to solve them was the European Charter of Regional or Minority Languages. The article discusses the regulations on official languages, addressing the issue of the status of official and working languages. Due to the nature of the considerations taken in the text, their meaning, the complexity of the problem, the content of the article is divided into two parts.

The purpose of the article is to present a proposal to amend the Basic Law and to indicate its close connection with the nature of the political (system) decision. The amendment to the Basic Law may be extended or limited. Possible legal constructions were carried out in the article. This would determine the conditions of Poland’s participation in the euro area, which are acceptable from the Polish constitution’s point of view.

Language problems of the European Union. Between the idealism of assumptions, utilitarian solutions, and the need for communicative law. Part II

This article is the second part of the considerations regarding language issues in the constitutional aspect with reference to the territory of the Republic of Poland and the European Union. The issues of linguistic interpretation in the practice of the European Court of Justice, as well as issues relating to language interpretation in the proceedings before the Court of Justice of the EU, draw attention to the content of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and the consequences thereof. The problem of the status of semi-official (additional) languages has been pointed out. The author analyses normative acts referring to this issue and the language problems that occure in the proceedings before the Court of Justice of the European Union. The summary points out the financial aspect resulting from the fact that Europe does not have a language which the entire population of the Union would identify with, stressing the difficulties that will arise after the expected departure from the European Union by the United Kingdom.

This article addresses the problem of the EP’s role in the process of multi-level governance illustrated with the example of EU expansion policy through the accession of the West Balkan states. As an effect of the European integration process, resulting in the transfer of decision-making competences from the state level to the transnational level, nation-states have lost their monopolistic position in the European decision-making process. This has enabled the formation of multi-level political system within the EU. Within the system, there is a multi-level governance model, with the EP as its crucial element. This article reveals an important role of the EP as a transnational decision-making centre, which with its specific competences (giving consent to the accession of a country to the EU, giving consent to sign international agreements crucial for the integration process, budget rights, co-decisions on the form of the EU law with an ordinary law making procedure) considerably forms the policy of the EU in relation to the Balkan countries. The explanation of the policy’s functioning and its outcomes are based on the concept of multi-level governance, which is analyzed herein in depth.

Brexit Negotiation Process in David Cameron and Theresa May’s Policy

Great Britain’s decision to leave the European Union (aka Brexit) is one of the most significant events in the history of European integration. It is also the first event in the history of the Community, yet not the only one proposed by the UK government. This article aims at the analysis of political activity of British Prime Ministers: David Cameron and Theresa May related to the United Kingdom’s leaving the European Union structures. British Government’s decision was taken after the referendum, which was held on June 23, 2016, followed by invoking Article 50 of the EU’s Lisbon Treaty. Consequences of Brexit are highly dependent on the results of negotiations, although most definitely they will have political, economic and social implications. The most important conclusions are contained in the summary.

The real system of government in Poland after the country’s accession to the European Union

The subject of research presented in the article is the system of government in Poland. The considerations concern the relationship between the normative solutions defined in the Constitution of the Republic of Poland of 1997 and the influence of the EU on the modification of political solutions in Poland. It was hypothesized that after Poland’s accession to the EU, the system of government in Poland changed in terms of political practice. It has been shown that functioning in the EU resulted in a departure from the characteristic rationalization of the system of government and bringing it closer to the parliamentary model. The prediction presents possible further directions of modification of the system of governance depending on the evolution of the EU. The research was based on the following methods: institutional-legal, systemic and comparative.

The Impact of the International Situation on the Shape of the Twentieth-Century Polish Constitutions

The subject of the article is the issue of the impact of the international situation on the shape of Polish twentieth-century fundamental laws and the determination of how the Polish constitutional legislator made it possible to implement the assumptions of Polish foreign policy. The first part of the article discusses the impact of the international situation on the provisions of the Constitutions of 1921 and 1935, with particular emphasis on the provisions relating to wartime. The second part of the article draws attention to the issues of political changes related to Poland’s membership in the Eastern Bloc countries. The third part of the article concerns the impact of the geopolitical situation on the shape of constitutional reforms during the period of Poland’s political transformation. The last part of the article analyzes the impact of Polish aspirations for European integration and NATO accession on the shape of the currently binding Constitution of 1997.

The subject of research presented in the article is the system of government in Poland. The considerations concern the relationship between the normative solutions defined in the Constitution of the Republic of Poland of 1997 and the influence of the EU on the modification of political solutions in Poland. It was hypothesized that after Poland’s accession to the EU, the system of government in Poland changed in terms of political practice. It has been shown that functioning in the EU resulted in a departure from the characteristic rationalization of the system of government and brought it closer to the parliamentary model. The research was based on the following methods: institutional-law, systemic and comparative.