As of May 1, 2004, Poland has been a member of the European Union. Poland had already been seeking formal membership in the European Community since the late 1980s.
Negotiations began in 1994. Ten years later, Poland became one of the European Union member states. According to public opinion polls, the vast majority of Poles want to remain in the EU and recognize how much Poland has changed for the better over these 16 years—how it has modernized and developed.
On the other hand, there are skeptical voices that question the point of participating in the Community and paying contributions to the common budget. The EU is accused of excessive bureaucracy and undue interference in the affairs of individual states. Some also say that Poland has lost more than it has gained by being a member of the Community.
And what do our Readers think about this? Is it worth being in the European Union?