ABSTRACT
Beginning in 1998, Poland embarked on a series of negotiations with the EU in the hope of joining the supranational organization. During this time the country’s governing elites were also determined to consolidate public support for Polish membership, focusing especially on those groups in the country that they came to believe could pose an obstacle to securing a positive outcome in the referendum. Groups such as farmers began to matter during the negotiating stage while the interests of others who displayed skepticism towards the EU, such as nurses, were barely considered (Policymaker Interviewee “A” 2004). There was a growing consensus among members of the Polish negotiating team that changing the opinions of farmers would be difficult, and the only way to secure their support during the referendum would be to fight harder to meet their demands during various stages of negotiations with the EU’s member states (Policy-maker Interviewee “B” 2004). It was apparent that perceptions of the stability of opinion on the EU was a serious consideration for the negotiating team, ultimately playing a role in determining which groups’ demands would be addressed.
