Polska i Polacy w opiniach prasy litewskiej na przełomie XX i XXI w.

Abstract

The article is dedicated to the image of Poland and Poles presented in selected Lithuanian papers in the years 1991–2016. The subject of the research were primarily the opinion-forming, high-circulation daily papers: “Lietuvos Rytas”, “Respublika”, “Lietuvos Aidas” and “Lietuvos Žinios”, and also the most influential magazine “Veidas”, as well as the publications on the Internet portal delfi.lt. In the years 1991–1993 the dominating image of Poles and Poland was negative. The apology for the occupation of Vilnius in 1920 was demanded. The attitude of the Polish minority in Lithuania was adversely perceived. The image started to change in 1994 after signing the Polish-Lithuanian international treaty. At the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries Poland was described as the main international Lithuanian partner since Poland supported the Lithuanian efforts to become the member of NATO and the European Union. The most positive attitudes were visible in the publications from the years 2004-2008, when Poland and Lithuania cooperated intensively as the USA allies. After 2008 the Polish-Lithuanian relations deteriorated. The image of Poland and Poles declined. The activity of the Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs Radosław Sikorski was evaluated very negatively.