UNANIMOUS BEFORE THE BREAKUP
MIROSŁAW PIOTROWSKI
‘Europe is endangered by a breakup because of variuos problems, including populism’ – pope Francis told journalists.
The Holy Father is not analyzing any details and ‘is not intruding’ into political issues. However, he has been warning for a long time. Similarly as three years ago in the European Parliament in Strasburg. However, the leaders of the European Union are looking at a different direction. Surely, the atmosphere in Brussels is different from the one in Vatican. At the same time when pope Francis was worried about a possibility of the breakup of the European community, the chief of the European Council Donald Tusk and the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker, sent a message to the world about ‘Unanimity of the European Union’. Soon they also added that they meant unanimity of 27 membership countries in the matter of brexit negotiations with Great Britain. Donald Tusk seemed to be the most pleased, and who defined this state as ‘unusual unanimity’.
One would like to ask how this unusual unanimity appeared. Well, there was an agreement only about indicated thorough principles, that is, Leitsatze, as the Germans would say. Officially there was a decision made about two priorities, and they concerned rights of EU citizens, including hundred thousands of Poles living in Great Britain and forcing the British to pay all earlier commitments. Both postulates make us glad, especially the ones concerning Polish citizens.
But is the joyful unanimity sufficient to convince the new government of the Great Britain of unanimous principles of the last summer meeting? Two were registered: ‘we will not pay a penny for the British’ and ‘ we do not want to lose a penny because the British are exiting the Union’. It is understood, as it has been recently revealed, as the incredibly high amount of 100 milliard euro. It is very beautiful also in the perspective of structural funds flowing to Poland.
However, what will happen when the Great Britain says ‘no’? After all, it has already opposed to the ‘bill for Brexit’ at the amount of 60 milliard euro. The prime minister Theresa May arranged new election which will be held on 8 June. Nearly everybody expects that its result will strengthen the governing party and the prime minister. It will stiffen the post of Great Britain, and will push aside the joyful unanimity of Tusk and Juncker to the corner labeled ‘wishful thinking’.
AA
„Niedziela” 20/2017