The article aims to refer to issues related to the understanding of national identity, assuming that the basic reference point for the theoretical analysis is the model of universally recognised European values. Attempting to concretise the concept of national identity and identify determinants affecting its shaping, reference was made to the problem of identifying Poles with European values. Since the problem of national identity was often the object of interest of researchers, especially during the intensification of integration processes in Europe and the impact of such phenomena as globalisation, migration or development of mass culture with a cosmopolitan character, there were observed increased anxieties of various nations encouraging underlining their own “separateness”, and also greater identification with the national community. The author does not treat this phenomenon as disturbing because, according to the latest trends related to the understanding of European identity, it can crystallise as the sum of the identity of European national countries.