Wednesday

31st May 2023

EU and Poland aim to calm tensions

  • Andrzej Duda (L) and Donald Tusk, two Polish politicians on opposite sides of the political spectrum, met in Brussels (Photo: Council of the European Union)

EU council president Donald Tusk and Polish president Andrzej Duda attempted to calm tensions on Monday (18 January), a day before a debate about Poland in the European Parliament.

The new Polish government of the Law and Justice party (PiS) has been accused by critics of curbing the constitutional court’s ability to check on the government and putting party loyalists in charge of state broadcasters.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Become an expert on Europe

Get instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

The European Commission last week launched for the first time a monitoring procedure that is supposed to check the health of Polish democracy.

“Poland has no enemies in the EU,” said Tusk, who served as Polish prime minister between 2007 and 2014 with Civic Platform, a party now in opposition.

Tusk also warned that officials and politicians from the EU and Poland should not exaggerate in their statements and should refrain from hysterical behaviour.

“I want to deny any conspiracy theories supposedly created here in Europe,” Tusk said.

He criticised the procedure launched by the European Commission.

No EU Council discussion

“The European Commission is acting in good faith, it does not want to humiliate or stigmatise Poland. But this could be achieved by other methods, not necessarily by triggering this framework,” Tusk told the media on Monday.

“I’m not very enthusiastic about it, but this is an opportunity to tone down the negative emotions that have grown around Poland.”

Tusk also said he did not think Poland would ever become an issue for the European Council.

“I don’t believe it is a good idea to discuss the Polish situation at the EU Council,” he said.

For his part, Duda said he wanted to have a calm debate with Brussels.

“Nothing exceptional is happening in Poland,” Duda said, “we are not undermining our membership in the EU”.

“I appeal to calm down the debate, to have a rational dialogue, based on real facts, not some media creations, that have nothing to do with reality,” Duda said.

“I appeal to the European political scene to have an objective look at Poland, unnecessary emotions and lack of objective analysis very often lead to escalation, and this is not beneficial to the European unity.”

Tusk said it was of key importance for Poland to maintain the good reputation it had worked on for the past 25 years, recalling how Polish opponents of the Soviet-controlled regime had longed for EU membership.

“This reputation has been shaken slightly,” Tusk said.

Brexit, North Stream on the menu

Besides the Polish political issues, the two leaders talked about the UK's attempts to negotiate EU reforms, Ukraine, and the planned North Stream 2 gas pipeline connecting Russia to Germany.

Duda said Poland wanted a deal that would help the UK remain in the EU.

“We must seek a cautious compromise that does not undermine basic freedoms that are important for Poland,” he said.

The Polish president heavily criticised the planned North Stream 2 gas pipeline that would circumvent Ukraine as a transit country, delivering gas from Russia to Europe, via Germany.

Duda questioned the economic logic behind the project, saying it was undermining energy security in Slovakia, Ukraine and Poland.

Agenda

Poland steals EU spotlight This WEEK

EP to hold debate on Polish government's constitutional and media "coup". Dutch PM Rutte to outline views on migrant crisis, MEPs to also put together VW inquest team.

EP debate on Poland could turn into 'carnage'

Polish PM Szydlo to confront EU critics on the state of Polish democracy. The EPP might try to defuse tension. The UK's likely to back her. But sources predict "carnage."

EU commission puts Poland on the hook

The EU commission has triggered rule-of-law monitoring of Poland, in an unprecedented step, prompted by constitutional and media reforms. The move follows a nasty exchange of letters.

Opinion

Towards a Putinisation of Central Europe?

With the migrant crisis ongoing, Central European countries are increasingly inching towards populism and nationalism. Russian president Vladimir Putin may well be become a model for some.

Column

What a Spanish novelist can teach us about communality

In a world where cultural clashes and sectarianism seems to be on the increase, Spanish novelist Javier Cercas (b.1962) takes the opposite approach. He cherishes both life in the big city and in the countryside.

Opinion

Poland and Hungary's ugly divorce over Ukraine

What started in 2015 as a 'friends-with-benefits' relationship between Viktor Orbán and Jarosław Kaczyński, for Hungary and Poland, is ending in disgust and enmity — which will not be overcome until both leaders leave.

Latest News

  1. Germany unsure if Orbán fit to be 'EU president'
  2. EU Parliament chief given report on MEP abuse 30 weeks before sanction
  3. EU clashes over protection of workers exposed to asbestos
  4. EU to blacklist nine Russians over jailing of dissident
  5. Russia-Ukraine relations the Year After the war
  6. Why creating a new legal class of 'climate refugees' is a bad idea
  7. Equatorial Guinea: a 'tough nut' for the EU
  8. New EU ethics body and Moldova conference This WEEK

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. International Sustainable Finance CentreJoin CEE Sustainable Finance Summit, 15 – 19 May 2023, high-level event for finance & business
  2. ICLEISeven actionable measures to make food procurement in Europe more sustainable
  3. World BankWorld Bank Report Highlights Role of Human Development for a Successful Green Transition in Europe
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersNordic summit to step up the fight against food loss and waste
  5. Nordic Council of MinistersThink-tank: Strengthen co-operation around tech giants’ influence in the Nordics
  6. EFBWWEFBWW calls for the EC to stop exploitation in subcontracting chains

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. InformaConnecting Expert Industry-Leaders, Top Suppliers, and Inquiring Buyers all in one space - visit Battery Show Europe.
  2. EFBWWEFBWW and FIEC do not agree to any exemptions to mandatory prior notifications in construction
  3. Nordic Council of MinistersNordic and Baltic ways to prevent gender-based violence
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersCSW67: Economic gender equality now! Nordic ways to close the pension gap
  5. Nordic Council of MinistersCSW67: Pushing back the push-back - Nordic solutions to online gender-based violence
  6. Nordic Council of MinistersCSW67: The Nordics are ready to push for gender equality

Join EUobserver

Support quality EU news

Join us