European Interest

Juncker: “Poland is with us”

Flickr/European Parliament/CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Jean-Claude Juncker declared categorically that Poland will continue to be an EU member.

“Poland is with us (the European Union) because we have common values,” Commission’s President Jean-Claude Juncker said in an interview published by the Polish daily Rzeczpospolita on Monday.

EC’s President was asked what will happen to the EU-Polish relations if the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party wins again the national elections next Autumn. More precisely the journalist asked whether there is a risk PiS opts for the withdrawal of the country from the EU.

Juncker declared categorically that Poland will continue to be an EU member.

Thanks to the Juncker’s plan Poland received and invested 18.3 bn euros in the development of small enterprises.

Poland faces one of the most difficult periods of its recent history, after the fall of the communist regime in 1989. The political climate is toxic since the conservatives of the Law and Justice party attempt to question any possible topic: from the commitments Poland assumed entering the EU in 2004 up to the democratic achievements the Polish society reach during the democratization of the country.

Not that the opposition is spotless. Many scandals marked the governments of the Civic Platform party. In addition the toxic climate in a certain extent was introduced by this party.

Any important problem the Polish state is facing is immediately used by the two “duelists” for strictly party interests. Migration and refugee problem, the position of the country as EU member, the questions of Justice independence and Media freedom to mention only a few of the divisive arguments.

The result is that Polish society is deeply divided. The political parties ignore the meaning of words such as “compromise”, “dialogue”, “convergence”.

While Civic Platform’s responsibility for the beginning of the toxic political environment is undeniable, the ruling PiS is responsible for the preservation and the deepening of the national division in Poland.

Juncker told the journalist of the Polish daily that although he asked a meeting with PiS leader and Poland’s strong man Jarosław Kaczyński the later never replied.

Explore more