Lessons from the Big Bang:
Polish Reflections on EU Membership
and Further Enlargement
On 9 January 2025, the Warsaw School of Economics hosted a conference entitled ‘Lessons from the Big Bang. Polish Reflections on EU Membership and Further Enlargement‘ organised by the College of Eastern Europe (KEW) in cooperation with the European Union Students’ Research Circle and the SGH High School under the honorary patronage of the SGH Rector. The event was part of the EU project ‘(Re)uniting the East and West: Reflections on the 2004 EU enlargement’, co-financed by the European Union.
The conference was dedicated to reflecting on the biggest enlargement of the European Union in 2004, known as the ‘Big Bang’, and its consequences and the current major challenges facing the EU, such as the regression of democracy, the rise of Euroscepticism or the high level of corruption in some countries. The event was also an opportunity to discuss lessons from the past for the contemporary integration process of the Western Balkan and Eastern Partnership countries (Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia).
The conference was opened by KEW Programme Director Adam Balcer, Jana Juzova, Senior Research Fellow from the Institute Europeum (project leader) and Dr Barbara Trzcińska, Director of the SGH Lyceum. Professor.
Jan Barcz then gave an inaugural lecture in which he presented the historical significance of the 2004 EU enlargement and its impact on the political and economic stabilisation of the Central and Eastern European region. He emphasised the key role of European integration for the consolidation of democracy and the rule of law in the region.
The expert discussion featured Prof. Małgorzata Molęda-Zdziech, Dr. Iryna Degtyarova and Prof. Artur Nowak-Far. The panellists addressed topics related to the impact of Poland’s EU membership on society and the media, the significance of Ukraine’s EU membership in the context of the ongoing war and the economic challenges facing Poland after 20 years of membership. The discussion was moderated by Dr Krzysztof Tymicki.
The discussants emphasised Poland’s role as a country that can inspire the Western Balkan and Eastern Partnership countries on their path to the European Union. However, they pointed out the need to effectively counteract the EU’s internal problems, such as the dismantling of the rule of law and the rise in support for radical parties contesting European values.
The conference concluded with an intergenerational civic panel, which included Wiktor Włochacz (SKN UE SGH), Natalia Różańska (My Future Foundation), Jarosław Jan Pobihon (Forum Młodych Dyplomatów) and Wlodzimierz Laszewski (SGH the University of the Third an of of of of of the of the of the of the of the of the of the of the of the Thirdight of the of the of the SGH), which of moderated by Adam Balcer. The participants shared with the audience their personal the reflections on the importance of the Polish accession to the EU and the future of the European Union.