‘Imbalances of interests’ in EU: Polish deputy FM
PR dla Zagranicy
Grzegorz Siwicki
19.10.2017 08:30
The government in Warsaw believes that there are “imbalances of interests” between different parts of the European Union, Poland’s deputy foreign minister has said.
Konrad Szymański. Photo: polskieradio.plpolskieradio.pl
Konrad Szymański was speaking ahead of a two-day EU summit that begins in Brussels on Thursday to address issues such as migration, defence, digitisation and the bloc’s exit negotiations with Britain.
"There seems to be a need for reflection ... to restore a better political balance" as the 28-nation bloc struggles with a combination of energy, climate, migration and internal market policy problems, Szymański, Poland’s deputy foreign minister in charge of European affairs, told Polish Radio on Wednesday.
Szymański also said the European Commission had shown "extraordinary openness" to the arguments of France in favour of limiting the common market in terms of services and on posted workers. “This situation … testifies to something bad happening in the political process in the Union," he said.
'Contradictory expectations'
Szymański added that Poland and its partners in the regional Visegrad Group “have clear expectations about a far-reaching reform of the European Union,” which he said must take into account the voices of all member states.
The reform has gotten under way and produced some results, but more far-reaching changes are needed, he suggested.
According to Szymański, different member countries have “clearly contradictory expectations with regard to the reform process,” which he suggested should be based on EU members working to “find a common position.”
Szymański argued also that paradoxically member states that have “greater confidence in the Union socially and politically” are “having more trouble" putting their plans into practice.
On the other hand, “states that have effectively questioned the process of integration at home are finding it easier to achieve their political goals," Szymański told Polish Radio.
On Wednesday evening, Poland’s Prime Minister Beata Szydło and her Czech, Slovak and Hungarian counterparts met European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker over dinner to discuss issues including Brexit and Europe’s migration crisis.
(gs/pk)
Source: IAR