BERLIN (Reuters) – Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki accused the European Union of imperialist behavior towards smaller member states in an op-ed published on the Welt news site on Wednesday.
“Political practice has shown that the positions of Germany and France matter more than all others,” Morawiecki wrote for the German media, calling for a more consensual approach.
“We are therefore dealing with a formal democracy and a de facto oligarchy in which the strongest hold the power,” he said, adding that European imperialism must be fought as well as Russian imperialism.
The prime minister, whose nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) government has repeatedly clashed with Brussels over rule of law issues, said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine had highlighted shortcomings in the EU.
He called for “profound reform that puts the common good and equality back at the forefront of union principles.”
Political cartoons about world leaders
Politicians from Poland’s ruling party have said Warsaw could hit back at the EU if the country does not get its share of pandemic recovery funds. Brussels has let it be known that it is not satisfied with the latest judicial reforms in Poland.
(Writing by Rachel More; Editing by Paul Carrel)
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