Samorządy i europeizacja Polski lokalnej

Abstract

Local self‑governments and Europeanization of local Poland: sociological, pragmatic and axiological aspects The article discusses the sources of positive attitudes toward the European integration in local communities and among local elites. The economic reasons (European funds) are important, but the socio‑cultural aspects of the support is very significant. The Polish local communities have many reasons to be afraid of the European integration, because of their backwardness, lack of knowledge, low human capital, and introductory negative influence of the europeization on agriculture and local industry. In spite of all of these, local communities and local elites have been supporting the integration since its beginning. The citizens treated this as common cultural advance. Under the new conditions, the local communities experienced revitalization of the local identity. For the local elites the Europeanization means modernization of local governments and their adaptation to new standards of governance. In effect there is broad support for emerging multilevel government in the European Union, perceived as a subsidiary relation within the EU.

Keywords

• społeczności lokalne
• integracja europejska
• zarządzanie wielopoziomowe w UE