Poland to support UK on benefit cuts?
PR dla Zagranicy
Roberto Galea
04.01.2016 09:16
The Polish Foreign Ministry has said that it is willing to support the UK’s plan to cut benefits for residents, in return for assistance within NATO.
Witold Waszczykowski. Photo: Flickr.com/pisorgpl
The support would be given as long as British Prime Minister David Cameron helps Poland in terms of international security.
“Britain could support our expectations related to an allied military presence on Polish territory,” Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski told Reuters in an exclusive interview.
The UK is mulling introducing cuts in benefits for foreigners currently residing in the country. Poles make up the largest groups of immigrants from the European Union.
"We're aware that the British welfare system is very elaborate and that it may not be able to bear it. We are therefore addressing this by increasing our benefits, and we also want to raise salaries in Poland,” he said.
The governing Law and Justice (PiS) party in Poland has announced that it wants to introduce a PLN 500 allowance to help families with children.
“Of course. Britain could offer something to Poland in terms of international security,” Waszczykowski added.
"We still consider ourselves a second-class NATO member-state, because in central Europe [...] there aren't, aside from a token presence, any significant allied forces or defence installations, which gives the Russians an excuse to play this region," he explained.
Warsaw will host a NATO summit in July. (rg)
Source: Reuters, PAP