Lithuania’s Policy Toward the Polish Minority after 1990 in the Context of Preserving National Identity Based on Own Research

Abstract

The article addresses the issue of the Lithuanian state’s policy toward the Polish national minority over the past 35 years of Lithuania’s independence. It emphasizes the gradual process of eliminating the Polish language from the public sphere, the diminishing status, and the continuous harassment of Polish education in Lithuania. The author notes the unfavourable attitude of Lithuanians toward Poles living in Lithuania, who constitute the indigenous population.

A common strategy developed by Lithuania is to strengthen Lithuanian identity by magnifying certain historical events while omitting those that are inconvenient or shameful. The Lithuanian state adopts partial measures – implementing some positive steps to meet international standards, yet simultaneously introducing restrictions that contain a hidden attempt at assimilating the Polish minority. Such actions may be regarded as manifestations of discrimination, reflecting an imagined threat to Lithuanian identity.

The essence of the policy toward national minorities has a significant impact on both social and interstate relations. It can either bring societies closer together or create distance by emphasizing differences and antagonisms. This issue is particularly important in regions where history plays a key role in shaping identity, one’s perception of the homeland, tolerance toward other nations, and the overall view of the state itself. The policy toward national minorities resonates in Polish‑ Lithuanian state relations, compelling both governments to seek legally grounded, compromise‑ based solutions consistent with international standards.

The aim of this article is to demonstrate the impact of Lithuania’s policy toward the Polish minority on the preservation of national identity, based on the author’s own research concerning the acceptance of the Polish minority by Lithuanians. Despite the widespread belief in Lithuania’s liberal policy toward the Polish minority, reality proves to be more complex and distant from the ideal, as shown by the conducted research. The perception of shared history is relative and open to diverse interpretations – even between nations that for centuries formed a single state.

The research was conducted using the method of critical analysis and through observation of the elements shaping the contemporary system of Polish education in Lithuania, which has a considerable influence on the preservation of national identity and mutual relations. The findings are supported by the results of the author’s own survey research, involving over 3,000 respondents from Polish families in Lithuania in the years 2020–2021.