Debate with the Prime Minister of Poland, Mateusz Morawiecki, on the Future of Europe (debate)
Manfred Weber, on behalf of the PPE Group. – Mr President, I would like to say to the Prime Minister that Europe is always about dialogue and that is why it is good to have him here to discuss the future of Europe with Poland. It was absolutely not Europe that brought democracy to Poland, but it was Poland that brought democracy to Europe with the first modern codified constitution in Europe in 1791. The principle of the separation of powers was included in this first constitution.
For these principles the Polish people stood really strong, even in dark times: the Second World War and during the oppression by the Soviet Union. John Paul II said in Warsaw, when standing in Victory Square in 1979, that there could be no just Europe without the independence of a democratic Poland marked on the map. More than 10 million people – a quarter of the population of Poland – were members of Solidarnosc. Together with Lech Wałęsa, they fought for freedom and democracy and they laid all the groundwork for a free and open, unified and democratic Europe. That is why we believe in a Poland that is based on the ideas of Lech Wałęsa and John Paul II. We admire what they did for Poland and for Europe.
(Applause)
But today, Prime Minister, there are so many questions on the table from people all over Europe, and in your country where yesterday there were demonstrations on the streets. There are so many questions on the table: for example, the question why is state TV in Poland today more a propaganda TV and not a free, independent media anymore? Why does your Government dismiss churches because of their political opinion? You referred to Walter Hallstein. He would be very surprised to see that today nobody knows whether the President of the Supreme Court of Poland is still in office or not. We have uncertainty there. Nobody knows exactly what the situation is today.
Why did another Member State have to refer to the European Court of Justice on a court case, fearing that Polish citizens do not enjoy the right to a free and fair trial in your country? Why is this happening and why do peaceful protesters, like Władysław Frasyniuk, face imprisonment for carrying roses, while nationalists who attack peaceful protesters are not even facing trial? Those are the questions on the table.
(Applause)
I think you missed an opportunity today to clarify these questions. Europe is together here. You missed an opportunity today to clarify these questions. The founder of the free and democratic Poland, Lech Wałęsa, said recently that in the 1980s there was no freedom without solidarity and today, he said, there is no freedom without the rule of law. The rule of law is in the very roots of Poland and in the hearts of the Polish people. Europe will not turn its back on the Polish people. If the Polish Government does not preserve the great Polish achievements, Europe will do so.
There is another Poland. There is a Poland of the demonstrators, the people in Poland who went out onto the streets. There is a Poland which welcomes 18 million tourists, who enjoy the freedom of movement, tourists who admire Poland and the culture of your great country. There is a Poland which welcomes 4 000 NATO soldiers with the idea of protecting our European Union together. There is another Poland, and sometimes I wonder myself whether you speak here as a PiS Government or whether you speak here as a Polish Prime Minister? Do you really have this second Poland in mind? I also want to welcome some of these NGOs here on the Tribune. They were invited by Michał Boni, so my thanks to him for that.
Having all this in mind, you talk about sovereignty. I want to ask you whether, when we talk about sovereignty and winning back sovereignty, is then the anti—EU atmosphere which has been created in Poland – in a way saying that Brussels is the new Moscow – is this really creating an atmosphere of sovereignty for Poland? When you talk about the content, and I completely agree with a few of the things – a Marshall Plan for Africa, and so on – and when you talk, for example, about taxation and about the initiatives you want to take on this, do you really think that your approach of an EU of the nations is really something which can work?
When you have the unanimous vote in the taxation field in mind, we see that in the Council a lot of initiatives – good initiatives – are blocked because there is always one single Member State blocking everything, on taxation and so on. Do you really think that such a Europe will work? I tell you that when you talk about the EU of 4.0, a new Europe, which listens to the citizens, there is already a Europe which is listening to the citizens and that is this Chamber, the European Parliament. We represent the citizens of the European Union.
(Applause)
We don’t need another Europe. I think our Europe is already working very well. Yesterday, the Bulgarian Presidency was present here. Boyko Borissov, a colleague of yours, was present and gave us an overview of what we have achieved together in the last six months in the interests of the citizens of the European Union. Again, in the Council meetings last week, we experienced that the nation states can no longer find a common ground to go further. That is why I strongly believe that the European Union, which was founded by Adenauer – you referred to this – and which is based on the institutions at European level, this Europe works, and the Europe of egoism and nationalism cannot deliver in the interests of the people of the European Union.
(Applause)
Let me say a final word. I want to conclude with a personal remark. Prime Minister, because of your PiS governmental propaganda, I never took the floor here in this House when we spoke about Poland, because I was afraid that my German background could be misused to attack my friends in Poland and others who are fighting there for the rule of law and freedom; that it could be used as, ‘the Germans are telling us’. We have sometimes experienced this in Poland: ‘the Germans are telling us’. I was afraid to take the floor here, and I want to tell you that I am not speaking here as a German Member of the European Parliament. I am speaking here because 219 colleagues voted for me as group leader of this Group. I want to fight for the interests of the citizens of the European Union. That is what we have to do, not to decide between good and bad Europeans. Let’s discuss the future of this continent. Let’s stick together. Let’s not be divided anymore. That would be a great message if we were to hear this from a Polish Prime Minister.