BERLIN
Poland’s new populist-conservative government has less trust in European Union solidarity at a time of growing tensions with Russia, analysts have told Anadolu Agency
Observers also suggest Warsaw fears that EU partners Germany and Italy will seek accommodation with Moscow due to energy and trade ties.
Adriano Bosoni, a Europe analyst at the Stratfor think tank, says Poland’s new government – formed by the Eurosceptic Law and Justice Party, or PiS – is trying to fine-tune its policy towards the EU, due to foreign policy factors and domestic pressures.
“On the foreign front, PiS looks at Europe and probably sees two things: an EU that is politically fragmented, and a Russian government that is more active abroad.
“Like some other Central and Eastern European countries, Poland fears that Germany, Italy and others will try to protect their energy and trade ties with Moscow and seek accommodation with Russia,” he says.
Bosoni argues that Poland’s new government would likely be reluctant in supporting steps towards deeper EU integration, and would try to protect its sovereign powers.
“PiS thinks that EU members have given up too much sovereignty to Brussels, and that the process has to be halted.
“At the same time, PiS probably thinks that Poland needs to be as sovereign as possible to face what they perceive as a reemerging Russia.
“I don't think PiS is against the EU per se, but probably sees the EU as an agreement between sovereign nations,” he added.
The populist-conservative party won parliamentary elections in October, ending the eight-year rule of the center-right Civic Platform.
During its election campaign, PiS has criticized the economic policies of the previous government, opposed joining the eurozone and promised social benefits and tax-cuts for the poor and less well-off.
“Poland has seen remarkable economic growth since joining the EU, but some people think that growth was not equally distributed. PiS was voted in by people who were disenchanted with the previous market-friendly administration,” Bosoni said.
“PiS thinks that Warsaw has to reverse some of the reforms that were implemented by the previous administration, to extend Polish control of the Polish economy and give a bigger role to the state,” he added.
Since it came to power in October, PiS has passed controversial laws which have significantly increased the government’s political influence over the country’s constitutional court.
These laws have also empowered a government minister to dismiss public media management bodies.
Despite criticism from the EU Commission, Poland’s new government has defended the controversial moves.
Poland’s new foreign minister Witold Waszczykowski has sharply criticized the EU Commission’s Vice President Frans Timmermans for writing a letter to his government recently urging Warsaw not to adopt the proposed law on the constitutional court.
“An EU official, who assumed that post through political connections, writes a letter to a democratically elected government. Where does he get the right to do that? For me, Mr. Timmermans is not a legitimate partner,” he said in an interview with German daily Bild on Monday.
Marcin Zaborowski, Executive Vice President of the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA), said while the new Polish government is much more vocal in its criticism of the EU and partners on a number of issues, including policy towards Russia, the main elements of Poland’s foreign policy would largely remain the same.
“There could be change in terms of style, in terms of methods…But the substance remains the same,” he told Anadolu Agency.
“Poland will remain pro-EU, will continue to have close ties with NATO, and [its] relationship will Germany will remain important because of economic, historical and cultural factors,” he said.
“And relations with Russia will remain difficult as long as Russia continues with its aggression in Ukraine,” he added.
Zaborowski underlined that Germany’s close energy ties with Russia – its gas pipeline project Nord Stream which is bypassing Ukraine and Poland has long been an issue of disagreement between two countries.
“We think that Nord Stream is detrimental to Poland’s interest. The former government was also very critical about this project, and it was also critical of German policy towards Russia.
“But did expressed all these in a manner which did not antagonize the German government,” he said.
Zaborowski said Poland’s new government has reservations about deeper EU integration but remains pro-European. He underlined that majority of the Polish population also supports EU membership.
“There is a sense across Europe that the EU needs reform. Perhaps in some areas integration has gone too far, and in some areas it has not gone far enough,” he said.
“And the current government is questioning the idea of ever-closer union. They are questioning the speed of integration.”
