The subject of the article is the problem of the application of participatory democracy in the mutual relations between Poland as a Member State and the European Union. The author points out that the instruments of participatory democracy are not homogeneous in nature, and that, depending on the legal and institutional context adopted, they may take various forms, ranging from apparent to real participation of citizens in the decision-making process. Whether a given mechanism is merely a façade or actually allows for co-determination depends on a number of factors, including both the specific legal arrangements concerning, inter alia, the way in which citizens’ will is enforced vis-à-vis state bodies, as well as the cultural and political contexts of a given environment. Undoubtedly, the personality traits of the decision-makers responsible for their implementation also have a significant impact on the way in which these mechanisms are used. The aim of this article is to determine whether the participatory instruments currently in place at the EU level do in fact give EU citizens a real direct influence on the shaping of EU policy, as well as to determine whether participatory democracy mechanisms at the national level (using Poland as an example) can influence the shaping of national policy towards the EU, and if so, to what extent, if at all. The author concludes that the question posed in the title should be answered in the affirmative. However, it is necessary to critically assess the nature of individual participatory mechanisms in terms of their degree of effectiveness. Both the solutions for implementing Art. 11 of the EU Treaty and the national solutions in Poland are currently inadequate. First and foremost, innovative tools of deliberative democracy should be more widely used, as participation without deliberation and without real redistribution of power can easily become an empty and frustrating process, allowing those in power to maintain the appearance of involving citizens in important decision-making processes. Innovative deliberative tools such as citizens’ panels should become a permanent feature of political practice at both national and European level.