Following a meeting between the new German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz and the Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki in Warsaw on Sunday, the Polish head of government said that “a new chapter in Polish-German relations,” has been opened.
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The positive note struck by both leaders might ease relations between the two countries that have been strained in recent years due to economic and political issues, such as the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, reparations for Poland for wartime damages and Poland’s recent dispute with Brussels.
“Today we are opening a new chapter in Polish-German relations, as we have a change of government on the German side, it is a symbolic moment,” Prime Minister Morawiecki stressed during a joint press conference with Chancellor Scholz following their meeting.
According to the Polish head of the government, the future of Europe largely depends on Polish-German cooperation. “We want Europe to be strong, so that Europe can meet the challenges ahead, and can be competitive against other countries of the world, such as the United States, China and India,” he said.
Mr Scholz emphasised that he wanted to “lay the foundation for good cooperation… in the future”. He stressed that Poland and Germany are allies in the European Union and NATO.
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During their meeting the heads of government talked about the risks posed by the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, broader issues related to Europe’s energy security, EU related matters, Poland’s WWII reparations and the migration crisis on the Polish-Belarusian border.
According to its critics, NS2 endangers energy security in Eastern Europe. Poland has repeatedly warned that the pipeline will make Europe even more dependent on Russian gas and will put Europe at risk of blackmail by Moscow.
“Poland, Slovakia and the countries of the eastern part of the EU may be subject to blackmail from Russia which… will destabilise the eastern flank of NATO, the eastern flank of the EU,” Prime Minister Morawiecki said regarding NS2. His German counterpart added that Germany remains committed to safeguarding Ukraine’s role as a transit route for gas to Europe.
“We continue to feel responsible for ensuring that Ukraine’s gas transit business remains successful,” he said.
Addressing relations with the EU, the Polish PM admitted that Poland “has a certain dispute with the European Commission regarding its judicial reform”. He also presented the German head of government with some proposals regarding a resolution of the dispute.
“It will be good if the discussion and talks between the European Union, the European Commission and Poland lead to a pragmatic solution,” the Chancellor said.
He also emphasised that Germany would support Poland regarding the migration crisis. “We know the great challenges Poland faces in connection with the attacks on its border,” he stressed.