Germany Seeks to Mend Ties With Poland as EU Tension Simmers
- Talk should be to, not about, each other, Steinmeier says
- Polish ruling party evokes Nazi past after German criticism
This article is for subscribers only.
Germany’s top diplomat sought to mend frayed ties with eastern neighbor Poland after the new government in Warsaw drew criticism from fellow European Union members for jeopardizing the bloc’s democratic values.
Poland’s relations with Germany have soured since the Law & Justice party ousted a pro-EU government by winning a majority in October elections. In one exchange, Martin Schulz, the German president of European Parliament, likened the party’s ruling style to a “coup,” prompting Law & Justice leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski to evoke Nazi-era references. On Thursday, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier traveled to Warsaw, where he called for the countries to “talk to each other, not about each other.”