FM Waszczykowski invites German peers to witness Polish democracy
PR dla Zagranicy
Nick Hodge
11.01.2016 11:25
Foreign Minister of Poland Witold Waszczykowski said after a meeting with the German ambassador that German politicians should come and witness Polish democracy at first hand following what he claims are unfair criticisms of the new government.
Foreign Minister of Poland Witold Waszczykowski (L) and German Ambassador Rolf Nikel (R). Photo: PAP/Radek Pietruszka
Ambassador Rolf Nikel had been summoned to the foreign ministry for a meeting on Monday morning after a slew of critical comments by German politicians about the conservative Law and Justice government.
European Parliament President Martin Schulz had claimed that Law and Justice is demonstrating “a dangerous Putinisation of European politics.”
Waszczykowski said following Monday's forty-minute meeting that “we have a communication problem with certain German politicians but it seems to me that we are on the right track to finding a solution.
“The best solution would be a visit to Poland by German politicians who could then become convinced that the state of Polish democracy is not as bad as it might seem from afar,” he argued.
Meanwhile, Ambassador Rolf Nikel said that the conversation with the minister had been constructive, and that “Polish-German relations are a treasure which must be safeguarded so that they are developed positively in the future.”
The European Commission is due to hold a debate on 13 January about the rule of law in Poland. The debate was called in relation to new legislation concerning Poland's public media. (nh)