Politics of Memory in the Context of Poland’s External Security after 2015

Abstract

The purpose of the research presented in this article was to answer the question of how, after 2015 (in which the Law and Justice party won the parliamentary and presidential elections), the contents of the politics of memory were used by Polish foreign policy authorities to define and specify Poland’s external security. In order to solve the problem raised, two complementary research methods were used (analysis of narrative structures and content analysis). Thanks to the adopted research perspective, it became possible for a multifaceted consideration of statements and documents produced during the period under study, in which the authorities competent in the field of foreign policy presented the directions of creating and understanding Poland’s security, doing so by undertaking narratives of memory. The study paid attention to three thematic areas: relations with the Russian Federation, relations with Ukraine, and the construction of the state’s image in service of security.