Sweden and Poland Entering the EU Comparative Patterns of Adaptive Organization and Cognition Statsvetenskapliga institutionen Umeå universitet Statsvetenskapliga institutionens skriftserie, 2005:2 ISSN 0349-0831 ISBN 91-7305-893-9 © Niklas Eklund Tryck: Print & Media, Umeå universitet, 2005:2000889 Sweden and Poland Entering the EU Comparative Patterns of Adaptive Organization and Cognition Niklas Eklund Statsvetenskapliga institutionen Umeå universitet 2005 Sweden and Poland Entering the EU Comparative Patterns of Organization and Cognition. Niklas Eklund, Department of Political Science, Umeå University, SE-901 87, Umeå, Sweden. ISBN 91-7305-893-9 ISSN 0349-0831 Distribution: Department of Political Science, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden. Abstract This thesis is a comparative study of how elites in Sweden and Poland approach and make sense of EU membership. It begins with the observation that the public debates in several EU member countries are becoming increasingly politicized around a dichotomy, i.e. enthusiasm and skepticism vis-à-vis European integration. Whereas a lot of research in this field covers the characteristics of the European integration process itself, fewer studies focus upon the cognitive complexity involved in national strategic policy choices. The aim of this thesis is to explore, compare and contrast the organizational and cognitive aspects of how Sweden and Poland entered the EU and thereby to contribute to an understanding of how national policymakers in Europe believe that national and supranational integration can work together. The theoretical point of departure is Stein Rokkan’s model of political integration, which emphasizes the importance of functional and territorial political cleavages in the development of modern European nation states. The model is used to identify political actors and structures that are transnationalizing forces in Europe and to determine in what ways they form a challenge to national governments in the process of adaptation to the EU. Representing different theoretical points of intersection in the Rokkanian model, these challenges are defined as Integration, Trade and Industry, Functional Regionalism and Territorial Regionalism. The empirical analysis builds on these theoretical categories and covers three different areas. First, the ways in which adaptation to the EU was organized by the governments of Sweden (1988-1994) and Poland (1998-2004) are scrutinized. Second, documents concerning the strategic policy deliberation of both organizations are analyzed in the light of Rokkanian integration categories. Third, the results of two sets of research interviews, one in each country, are analyzed. A major conclusion drawn in the study is that Rokkanian integration theory holds the key to an understanding of how national policymakers believe that European integration can be segmented and how supranational integration in the economic sphere can evolve separately from other areas of social and political integration. Although from very different countries and political experiences, elites in Sweden and Poland show remarkable cognitive similarities. Another contribution to a cross-national understanding of adaptation to the EU is the cognitive model, which is developed on the basis of empirical study. The model expands upon and goes beyond the simple dichotomy of Enthusiasts and Skeptics in the discussion about European integration. Two new categories are introduced and defined as Voluntarists and Pragmatists. The argument is that new cognitive categories are necessary to improve the description and analysis of how national policy makers in Europe set up long-term political goals and manage complex issues in the process of European integration. Key words: Integration, transnationalization, adaptation, Sweden, Poland, European Union, enlargement, Stein Rokkan, political cognition, national elites, strategic policy deliberation, qualitative research interviewing, Enthusiasts, Voluntarists, Pragmatists, Skeptics. CONTENTS Preface Figures and Tables 1. Understanding European Integration 1 1.1 Components of the Research Problem 5 1.2 Theoretical Underpinnings of the Approach 6 1.3 Why Compare Sweden and Poland? 13 1.4 Organization of the Study 17 2. Conceptual and Methodological Applications 19 2.1 Integration: Territory and Function 19 2.2 Political Cognition: Necessity and Desirability 32 2.3 Comparison: Notes on the research material and method 42 3 Sweden: The Governmental Organization for 53 EU Adaption (ROFE) 3.1 Contextualization: Touchstones of the Enlargement Debate in Sweden 1988-1994 54 3.2 An Outline of the ROFE Organization 61 3.3 The Self-Image of ROFE 68 3.4 Consensus-Building through Learning 73 3.5 Facing Rokkanian Policy Choices 77 3.6 Summary: Organizational findings in the Swedish case 85 4. Poland: The Governmental Organization for 91 EU Adaption (UKIE) 4.1 Contextualization: Touchstones of the Enlargement Debate in Poland 1998-2004 92 4.2 An Outline of the UKIE Organization 97 4.3 The Self-Image of UKIE 104 4.4 Image-Building by a Neutral Task Force 108 4.5 Facing Rokkanian Policy Choices 115 4.6 Summary: Organizational findings in the Polish case 125 5. Framing Swedish Adaption to the EU 131 5.1 Principal Features of the ROFE Interviews 132 5.2 The Swedish Enthusiast 135 5.3 The Swedish Voluntarist 140 5.4 The Swedish Pragmatist 145 5.5 The Swedish Skeptic 151 5.6 Summary Discussion of the ROFE Interviews 156 6. Framing Polish adaption to the EU 161 6.1 Principal Features of the UKIE Interviews 162 6.2 The Polish Enthusiast 165 6.3 The Polish Voluntarist 174 6.4 The Polish Pragmatist 181 6.5 The Polish Skeptic 190 6.6 Summary Discussion of the UKIE Interviews 194 7. Comparative Organizational and Cognitive Patterns 199 7.1 Adaptive Organizations Compared 199 7.2 Understanding Europe: Enthusiasts, Voluntarists, Pragmatists, Skeptics 206 7.3 Rokkanian Perspectives on European Integration 214 References 221 Appendix 1 Two Examples of Cognitive Data Processing and Interpretation 239 Appendix 2 Networking Patterns in the Swedish Organization 242 Appendix 3 Examples of Interview Questions 247 Preface Concerning my emotional state at this point, it is perhaps best described by an exercise in evocation. In the movie Papillon from 1973, based on the book by Henri Charrière, there is a scene in which one of the story’s two main characters, played by actor Steve McQueen, jumps up and hangs by his hands from the metal grid which forms the roof of his prison cell. It is then that he hisses the hot phrase in the direction of his jailors. He uses the same words in the final scene as he leaves his friend, played by Dustin Hoffman, behind and floats away toward freedom on a makeshift raft. I shall not bend the rules to the extent of quoting his words here. Suffice it to say that I am wont for a better turn of phrase to describe my current emotion. Many thanks are due, however. If it had not been for Professor Gunnel Gustafsson, this thesis would probably never have been finished. Her moral and intellectual support goes back several years now, and I can only hope that in my future work I will be able to prove myself worthy of her efforts up to this point. Another person at my home department who has never stopped believing in me and who has contributed with professional support and encouragement is my friend Dr. Kerstin Kolam. I would also like to thank Professor Douglas Nord, for his contribution as a faculty opponent at the presentation of my Licentiate dissertation in 1999, and for making me feel enthusiastic about my research ideas again. Professor Joe Board, thank you for proofreading my manuscript! Anita Lidén, thank you for your patience and diligence regarding the technical aspects of making this happen, and I wish you all the best as you too will be floating away! Thank you Professor Katarina Eckerberg for being optimistic about financial concerns and, of course, a big thanks to all the hard-working people in Stockholm and Warsaw! Having spent so many years participating in seminars, courses and administration at the department and watching people and ideas come and go, it would be well-nigh impossible to enumerate all who have been important at one point or other. From the early days, I really miss the intellectual companionship of Johan Eriksson. Still here is Ann-Sofi Rönnbäck, a good friend and fellow student adviser. I also continue to enjoy the personal friendship of Håkan Edström, never tiring of his razor sharp social and political analyses. There are others, with whom I have never missed an opportunity to disagree about world affairs, such as Bosse Hallin, Sten Markgren and Chris Hudson. I have travelled and worked a lot together with two gentlemen of the world, Kjell Lundmark and Jan Engberg, who have both contributed in unique ways to how I currently look at academic life. Anna-Maria Svensson is a newcomer in this context, but I value her input and ability to talk sense about learning highly. In my everyday work at the department I meet hordes of students. Thank you all, current and past, for being a fountain of new ideas and insights! For making it possible to float on top of this wave of human contact, I would especially like to thank Lena Forsberg, Viveca Jonsson and Michelle Streeter-Ferrari. For being just as important to the management of teaching and students over the past few years, thank you Linda Rönnberg and Katarina Eriksson. Last but not least, words cannot express the gratitude I feel toward my parents, Marianne and Stig, for helping me stay afloat over the years by the sheer force of their love and trust. This is for you, for my sister Katarina with family and for my wonderful wife Malin: Finis malorum! Umeå in April 2005 N.E. Figures and Tables Figure 1 (p. 21) The territorial and functional dimensions of political conflict. Figure 2 (p. 38) Combinations of Necessity and Desirability: the four cognitive categories.