Polish-Romanian friendship and the construction of the Intermarium
King of Romania Ferdinand I and Marshal of Poland Józef Piłsudski
I. Our shared history
The beginnings of Polish-Romanian relations can be traced back to the Middle Ages, with contacts between Polish and Romanian principalities (Moldavia and Wallachia). Trade and dynastic marriages played a significant role in fostering early ties. One example of early Polish-Romanian ties is the marriage between Alexandra of Moldavia, daughter of Prince Peter IV Rares of Moldavia, and Sigismund II Augustus, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania. This marriage, which took place in 1541, served to strengthen political and familial bonds between the two regions. Poland and the Romanian principalities shared similar challenges, such as defending their territories from the expanding Ottoman Empire.
Unfortunately, the development of these relations got interrupted. By 1541, the entire Balkan peninsula and northern Hungary became Ottoman provinces. Moldavia, Wallachia, and Transylvania came under Ottoman suzerainty but remained fully autonomous and until the 18th century, had some internal independence.
The 19th century saw growing nationalist movements and a desire for unification among the Romanian principalities. In 1859, Wallachia and Moldavia united under a single ruler, Alexandru Ioan Cuza, forming the modern Romanian state. In 1877, Romania gained full independence from the Ottoman Empire after the Russo-Turkish War.
During the 19th century, Polish exiles fleeing Russian oppression found refuge in Romania. Many of them contributed to Romanian culture and society through their literary, artistic, and scientific pursuits. For instance, Julian Ursyn Niemcewicz, a Polish writer and statesman, stayed in Iași, Moldavia, where he wrote some of his most important works.
During World War I, Poland and Romania fought on the side of the Entente powers. Poland reappeared on the map of Europe and Romania profited from the post-war settlement.
During the Polish-Soviet War (1919-1921), Romania provided logistical support to Poland, allowing the Polish Army to utilize Romanian railways for troop and supply transport. The Polish-Romanian Alliance (1921) was signed as a response to potential threats from the Soviet Union and Hungary. Romania and Poland also sought to strengthen regional cooperation, joining Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia in the Little Entente, which sought to maintain the post-WWI territorial settlement.
The concept of Intermarium can be traced back to Polish leader Józef Piłsudski, who envisioned a union of countries stretching from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea. Piłsudski's idea was to include countries like Poland, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Romania in this federation (which some like to call “the United States of Europe”). The plan was intended to counterbalance the influence of Germany and the Soviet Union in the region and to ensure the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the participating countries. Romania's involvement in the Intermarium project was somewhat complicated, as it had territorial disputes with some of its neighbours, including Hungary. Romania was, however, concerned about Soviet expansion. Several factors contributed to the failure of the idea, such as conflicting territorial claims, lack of trust between the countries, the rise of nationalism in the region, and of course, opposition from both Germany and the Soviet Union eventually materialized...
Polish-Romanian relations during the socialist era were shaped by their common experience as Soviet satellite states. Both countries were part of the Warsaw Pact, and cooperated within the framework of the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (COMECON). Despite their shared socialist experience, Poland and Romania followed different paths during the Cold War. Poland's society was more resistant to communism, and the Solidarity movement played a crucial role in the eventual fall of the communist regime. Under Nicolae Ceaușescu's rule, Romania pursued a more independent foreign policy within the Eastern Bloc. Despite the regime's oppressive nature, Ceaușescu's stance against the 1968 Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia earned him some international support.
II. The reconstruction of Polish-Romanian relations
With the fall of communism in 1989, Poland and Romania started their paths towards democratization and market economies. Poland and Romania's shared security interests led them to pursue NATO membership. Poland joined the alliance in 1999, followed by Romania in 2004. Poland and Romania's aspirations to join the European Union were realized in 2004 for Poland and 2007 for Romania. The Visegrád Group (Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, and Slovakia), has also offered opportunities for cooperation between Poland and Romania on regional issues, including infrastructure development and energy security.
The Three Seas Initiative, which includes both Poland and Romania, aims to promote economic development, infrastructure, and energy projects across the countries located between the Baltic, Black, and Adriatic seas.
Poland has been supportive of Romania's efforts to join the Schengen Area, a key EU border-free zone. Poland and Romania have been working to deepen their economic ties, with bilateral trade steadily growing. In 2010, the trade volume was around €2.5 billion, and it has been increasing ever since. In recent years, the trade volume has surpassed €5 billion. Polish investments in Romania have increased in sectors such as energy, automotive, and construction, while Romanian companies have also been expanding their presence in the Polish market.
The growth of Polish-Romanian trade has been accompanied by various agreements and initiatives aimed at promoting economic cooperation:
- Poland and Romania signed a bilateral agreement on economic cooperation in 1994, which serves as a foundation for their economic ties. The agreement covers a wide range of areas, including trade, investment, industrial cooperation, and technology transfer.
- The Polish-Romanian Joint Economic Committee, established under the Bilateral Economic Cooperation Agreement, holds regular meetings to discuss and advance economic cooperation. The committee identifies potential areas for collaboration, addresses existing challenges, and aims to further strengthen the economic ties between Poland and Romania.
- Poland and Romania have participated in cross-border cooperation programs funded by the European Union, such as the Interreg program. These programs aim to promote regional development, improve infrastructure, and strengthen economic ties between border regions of EU member states.
- In 2017, Poland and Romania signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop and modernize railway connections between the two countries. The agreement aimed to improve the overall quality and efficiency of rail transport between Poland and Romania, facilitating cross-border trade and passenger travel.
- In 2015, Poland, Romania, and other Central and Eastern European countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of the Central and South-Eastern European Gas Connectivity (CESEC) initiative. The initiative seeks to enhance energy security, promote market integration, and diversify energy sources in the region. Poland and Romania have collaborated on various energy infrastructure projects under this initiative. The initiative encourages the development of alternative gas sources, including liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals, pipeline connections to new suppliers, and domestic production. It was established in response to concerns about the region's heavy reliance on a single supplier (Russia) for natural gas, which left it vulnerable to supply disruptions and price manipulation. Since its establishment, CESEC has made significant progress in implementing various gas infrastructure projects, such as the construction of the Krk LNG terminal in Croatia, the Bulgaria-Romania-Hungary-Austria (BRUA) pipeline, and the Greece-Bulgaria Interconnector (IGB).
Conclusion
The history of Polish-Romanian relations is quite new, as both countries had a complicated history, and existed or did not exist at different times. We have known since the 1920s and the Polish-Romanian Alliance that the development of relations between our two countries is key to the stability not only of our region but also our entire continent. Each country has to learn about the other and build bridges whose development has been held back. Today, cooperation is flourishing and the prospects are bright. There is significant potential for strengthened political and economic cooperation between Poland and Romania in various areas:
1. We can benefit greatly from joint investments in energy infrastructure.
2. We should improve transportation links, especially in rail and road networks, to boost trade and tourism.
3. We can strengthen our defense cooperation through joint military exercises, intelligence sharing, and procurement of defense equipment.
4. Let’s encourage further trade and investment by reducing barriers, simplifying regulations, and providing incentives for businesses.