ABSTRACT
This chapter explains the conceptualization of the concept of European solidarity. It analyses how the concept of solidarity is perceived and used by the Members of European Parliament from Poland. This analysis will shed light on how actors form Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) relate to the concept of European solidarity. Historically speaking, the national frames of reference were not the only ones that gave a fruitful soil for reflecting on solidarity. It was cosmopolitanism that brought new insights into the functioning of solidarity beyond the nation states. The general reflection on how solidarity can possibly be based beyond the national community also draws from the academic reflection on how the supranational identity can be constructed. The studies on identifications beyond the nation state in Europe stress that it is possible for individuals to develop identification overcoming national borders.
