Poljsko javno mnjenje o bombardovanju Jugoslavije 1999. godine

Abstract

The decision of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to use armed force to end the Kosovo crisis has caused much emotion and controversy in Poland. There was much public interest in the Balkans during the 1999 NATO bombing. Polish support for NATO intervention was high, but the extension of the bombing had resulted in a decrease in the percentage of its supporters. Half of the Poles approved the action, mainly those with right-wing or center-right views. Slightly less were opposed. The left-wing followers did not generally support the intervention. The events in the Balkans were regularly followed in Poland. The possible scenarios for the Kosovo situation, as well as the consequences of the war were considered, both in the context of humanitarian crisis and of Yugoslav history and identity. NATO’s war against Yugoslavia has become the subject of numerous Polish publications. The media presented as different opinions on the NATO’s intervention as political forces. Some of the titles were supportive (eg. „Gazeta Wyborcza“) and some were extremely critical. Among the opponents to the intervention were the titles closely associated with radical political groups, from both left and right of the political spectrum: „Trybuna“, „NIE“, „Dziś“, „Myśl Polska“, „Nasza Polska“ oraz „Nasz Dziennik“. Only a few managed to maintain a balanced attitude towards the activities of the Alliance in Balkans (eg. „Polityka“). Remembrance and reflection on the events that happened in 1999 in Yugoslavia are kept alive in Poland.

Keywords

• Poland
• Yugoslavia
• NATO
• media
• Kosovo