Merkel’s Final Weeks Marked by Fears EU Is Picking a Bad Fight
Germany’s outgoing chancellor is concerned that Europe’s rush to confront Poland over the rule of law could backfire
German Chancellor Angela Merkel called for dialog with Poland in a recent visit to Belgium.
Photographer: John Thys/AFP/Getty ImagesAngela Merkel is worried that some European Union leaders and lawmakers are thrusting the EU into a fight with Poland that leaves no room for compromise and could end in disaster.
In her final weeks in the job, the German chancellor has publicly warned in her own carefully couched and diplomatic way about the EU’s tactics in the confrontation. Behind the scenes, she’s deeply concerned that the rush to strike back at Poland over a rule-of-law dispute could spiral out of control and eventually end up with Poland’s departure from the bloc in the worst-case scenario, said a person familiar with her thinking.