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Jun 21, 07, 20:50 #1
'It's the Poles who are saving Europe," writes Alan Posener in the German daily Die Welt on Thursday, 21 June. He regards as scandalous the German media attempts to isolate Poland. Poland and the Kaczynski brothers have been getting ridicule and mockery, writes Herr Posener. He mentions the cover of the latest edition of the Der Spiegel weekly with the headline: 'To Die for the Square Root - How the Poles are Grating on Europe's Nerves.' 'But one who is aware of what the game is about, must admit: the Poles are right,' Herr Posener asserts. 'The Poles refuse to watch silently the stripping them of any influence in the EU Council.... If the EU summmit turns into a fiasco, maybe historians will write one day of how the Poles saved Europe.'
Herr Posener considers it scandalous that although citizens of two important EU countries, France and Holland, have rejected the Constitution treaty, there still have been attempts to accept a EU Constitution. He thinks that Poland's objection to the system of weighing votes is absolutely legitimate. He thinks that 'the lowest' rhetorical tricks have been used to ridicule the Polish President and Prime Minister, such as 'to die for the square root,' which is supposed to be as amusing as 'the Polish cavalry attack against the German tanks in 1939.'
Herr Posener suspects that smaller EU countries sympathise with the Polish position, even though they have either ratified the Constitution treaty or are scared of a row with Germany.
He lists three reasons why the Germans should show understanding to the Poles. First, Germany has always acted as advocate of the smaller EU countries. Second, in relations with Warsaw, Berlin must repair the damage done by Gerhard Schroeder. The former Chancellor closed the German labour market for Polish workers, which was a 'senseless shortsighted political compromise with [German] populist protectionism.' Also, Schroeder's alliance with Russia as a counterbalance to America was a mistake. Third, when Turkey joins the EU in the future, the strong role of the population size in the process of decision-making will not be in Germany's interest. The Polish proposal shows a solution to the problem, Herr Posener asserts.
'Poland deserves thanks, not ridicule,' Herr Posener stresses, and adds: 'In the end, it may appear it's the new Europeans who are the better Europeans.' (after Polish Press Agency PAP)
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