Poland rejects EU ‘super-state’ plans with warning of ‘revolts’ in latest blow to Brussels
Poland‘s prime minister has warned Europe may see “revolts” if the European Union, of which his country is a member, turns into a “super-state government” that ignores national differences. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki was delivering a speech at the university in Heidelberg, in Germany, about the challenges facing the continent where he said Ukraine is fighting Russia‘s invasion to protect core European values of freedom.
He said: “I warn all those who want to create a super-state government by a narrow elite: if we ignore cultural differences the outcome will be the weakening of Europe and a series of revolts.”
The war has placed Europe at a “historic turning point” where it has to prove its strength that comes from the diversity of its nations, he argued.
He added: “In Europe nothing can safeguard the nations, their culture, their social, economic, political and military security better than nation states.
Poland’s right-wing government is at odds with Brussels on issues including the rule of law and judicial independence, and insists that the EU has too much say on matters regarding the individual interests of its 27 members.
The Polish PM insisted: “We need a Europe that is strong because of its nation states, not one built on their ruins.”
He also likened Russia’s President Vladimir Putin to Nazi Germany’s leader Adolf Hitler, described him as a “fascist” and argued that Europe has “a duty to oppose Russian fascism”.
Ukraine’s neighbour, Poland, has been among the nations most strongly supporting Kyiv with military, political and humanitarian assistance in the war that has entered its second year.
Morawiecki said “the defeat of Ukraine would be the defeat of the West, indeed of the entire free world” and would “dramatically change” the world.
His warning came as the Polish Embassy in France stressed on Monday that Warsaw is “doing everything it can to help Ukraine and protect itself”.
Poland’s ambassador to France has cautioned there may be a scenario where Poland would need to enter the war in Ukraine which would bring Russian forces into direct conflict with NATO. In an interview for the French TV channel LCI, Jan Emeryk Rociszewski asserted that Kyiv must continue to defend Ukraine’s independence or else other countries such as Poland and Slovakia may have to intervene.
Mr Rociszewski said: “It is not NATO, Poland or Slovakia that are mounting ever more pressure, but Russia, which has invaded Ukraine. Russia, which is seizing its territories. Russia, which is killing its people. And Russia, which is abducting Ukrainian children.
“Therefore, either Ukraine will defend its independence today, or we will have to enter this conflict. Because our main values, which were the basis of our civilization and our culture will be threatened. Therefore, we will have no choice but to enter the conflict.”
