The Eastern enlargement of the European Union intensified discussions regarding the question of what a 'European identity' could look like. Many authors worry about a growing nationalism in East (Central) Europe, contrasting it with the theoretical idea of constitutional patriotism as a principally inclusive form of a community's political conscience (Habermas). This article discusses the application of this concept critically. It is a concept that has been developed in a Western (German) context whilst nevertheless asserting some universal application' to an Eastern region and to Poland in particular. The central hypothesis underlying this publication is as follows: constitutional patriotism (even if its pure form were possible in reality) cannot be an unambiguous objective within the political framework of the EU. This is particularly the case for East Central European countries, where many societal values are intrinsically linked to ideas about the cultural character of 'the particular home nation', e.g. with respect to freedom, democracy or 'being European'.