synopsis and translation Zbyszek Koralewsk , editing Prof. Anthony J. Bajdek
link to the original article:
There are two reasons for attacks on the new government in Poland: the Polish opposition did not come to terms with its defeat in the elections, and the other due to
the fact that the countries of Central and Eastern Europe: Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovakia, are not enthusiastic about EU centralism, and they do not want to have a second Moscow in the form of Brussels, which will tell them what to do -- says Hans-Olaf Henkel, the German MEP (Member of European Parliament) from the EK fraction, in an interview with the weekly "Into the stuff ".
Hans-Olaf Henkel PAP/EPA / DPA
-There are two reasons about the first I have already stated: the Polish opposition does not come to terms with its defeat in the election, which was visible even in the discussion. The second reason stems from the fact that the countries of Central and Eastern Europe: Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovakia are not enthusiastic about EP centralism and do not want to have a second Moscow in the form of Brussels, which tells them what to do.
And in all of this there is an additional German element which makes the whole situation even more dramatic and difficult. As a German, who is reading [and] watching international media, I notice clearly that the German media and German politicians are leading the criticism of the Polish government. Something like that I can hardly see in the French press, a relatively small extent in the UK, [and] in Italy the theme is almost non-existent. A little bit is written about it in Austria and the Netherlands. This strong German instructive voice has a good cause – Germans have ambition to be a global moral superpower. They want to save the world's climate, marginalize nuclear energy, save the eurozone; [they] saved Greece three times, along with Ireland, Portugal, Spain, [and] now save refugees from different countries. Finally, they believe that they have to save Polish democracy. The reason for this moral arrogance of many German politicians -- and the best example is the chairman Schulz -- is that the generation of Germans born after the war feels obliged to show its high, overblown morality.
Mr Schulz attacks Poland, speaking [either] of a coup or of democracy in the style of Putin. It is not only the greatest wickedness, I've heard, while an MEP, but also a total lack of respect for
A spokesman for the Chancellor distanced himself recently from the comments of some German politicians calling for the imposition of sanctions on Poland.
-Ideas such as imposing sanctions on Poland are ridiculous, completely ridiculous.
Fortunately, they will not be realized, because it would be the end of the European Union.
How should the Polish government be in responding to the attacks by Mr. Schulz and
Hans-Olaf Henkel PAP/EPA / DPA
Dominika Ćosić: Did the Prime Minister Beata Szydło succeed during the debate
in the European Parliament (EP) to convince the skeptics ?
Hans-Olaf Henkel: With skeptics she did not. In the EP there are people who just do not want to be convinced. You can show them the facts, clearly and lucidly, and they still will not admit them (i.e., the facts) to their consciousness and will continue to stick to their ideology.
Hans-Olaf Henkel: With skeptics she did not. In the EP there are people who just do not want to be convinced. You can show them the facts, clearly and lucidly, and they still will not admit them (i.e., the facts) to their consciousness and will continue to stick to their ideology.
This presentation, however, had an impact on people who have open minds.
And there are those?
-I think so. But certainly the farther to the left and the farther to the right [one may be], it is harder to meet these types of people. It is clear that the Polish opposition can not accept that they lost the election. This is a Polish problem. I can only appeal to the current Polish opposition [to] the Polish problem not to make [it a] European [problem]. Growing tensions hurt Poland and Europe. The second axis of the division concerned ideology because there are [those] in the EP parties wanting greater centralization of the Union -- federalism -- and those for whom such a vision is not acceptable. The new Polish government, like me, belongs to the latter group. And it was [thus]
And there are those?
-I think so. But certainly the farther to the left and the farther to the right [one may be], it is harder to meet these types of people. It is clear that the Polish opposition can not accept that they lost the election. This is a Polish problem. I can only appeal to the current Polish opposition [to] the Polish problem not to make [it a] European [problem]. Growing tensions hurt Poland and Europe. The second axis of the division concerned ideology because there are [those] in the EP parties wanting greater centralization of the Union -- federalism -- and those for whom such a vision is not acceptable. The new Polish government, like me, belongs to the latter group. And it was [thus]
the second division of supporters of and opponents to European centralism.
What according to you is the main reason for the attacks on the new Polish government?
-There are two reasons about the first I have already stated: the Polish opposition does not come to terms with its defeat in the election, which was visible even in the discussion. The second reason stems from the fact that the countries of Central and Eastern Europe: Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovakia are not enthusiastic about EP centralism and do not want to have a second Moscow in the form of Brussels, which tells them what to do.
And in all of this there is an additional German element which makes the whole situation even more dramatic and difficult. As a German, who is reading [and] watching international media, I notice clearly that the German media and German politicians are leading the criticism of the Polish government. Something like that I can hardly see in the French press, a relatively small extent in the UK, [and] in Italy the theme is almost non-existent. A little bit is written about it in Austria and the Netherlands. This strong German instructive voice has a good cause – Germans have ambition to be a global moral superpower. They want to save the world's climate, marginalize nuclear energy, save the eurozone; [they] saved Greece three times, along with Ireland, Portugal, Spain, [and] now save refugees from different countries. Finally, they believe that they have to save Polish democracy. The reason for this moral arrogance of many German politicians -- and the best example is the chairman Schulz -- is that the generation of Germans born after the war feels obliged to show its high, overblown morality.
Mr Schulz attacks Poland, speaking [either] of a coup or of democracy in the style of Putin. It is not only the greatest wickedness, I've heard, while an MEP, but also a total lack of respect for
the letter of the law. Everyone says that we should wait for the verdict of the Venice Commission, while this man does not wait, because he had already judged Poland. I asked him in a speech to apologize to the Polish people. He did not do it. Why?
-Ideas such as imposing sanctions on Poland are ridiculous, completely ridiculous.
Fortunately, they will not be realized, because it would be the end of the European Union.
How should the Polish government be in responding to the attacks by Mr. Schulz and
the German government? Do not treat Mr. Shultz as a representative of the government
in Berlin and possibly answer only to him?
-My advice is that the Polish government should be confident in responding and show it. Do not attack the German Government for the words of Mr. Schulz.
-My advice is that the Polish government should be confident in responding and show it. Do not attack the German Government for the words of Mr. Schulz.
The German government, moreover, has serious problems now, and they are on several fronts. About the effects of "policy of Willkommen" [i.e., "Welcome"] I have alredy stated, and it is also
a question of giving up nuclear energy, which has caused a dramatic increase in energy prices.
The price of electricity in Germany is the second highest in the world. For this reason, many foreign and German companies begin to retreat from Germany. The crisis in the eurozone has not been resolved; Greece does not carry out reforms. In short, Mrs. Merkel does not need to open another front, that being,
the deterioration of relations with Poland. And there is also no reason to "teach" the Polish government. And the government in Warsaw should be aware of that.
