EU must be reformed: Polish Foreign Minister

Waszczykowski was speaking to the TVN broadcaster about the need to reform the European Union, its leadership crisis, and the safety of Polish citizens in the UK.

“For many months now, we’ve been trying to get the EU to reform itself. We want to make use of Brexit discussions as an opportunity for that. Brexit isn’t just about a breakup between the UK and the EU; it’s also about a debate on the UK’s new status towards Europe. The EU must be reformed, because Brexit isn’t just a whim of the British. The EU is also much to blame,” the Foreign Minister said, adding that changes are needed in the way the EU functions.

Waszczykowski observed that Visegrad Group members – Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia – share his view on the matter.

“The entire Visegrad Group thinks along similar lines: that the whole Brexit discussion must be used for the sake of reforming the EU. We differ only on the technicalities: whether it can be achieved by opening up the treaties or without resorting to that.”

The minister added that the crisis of its leadership and decision-making mechanism is an important factor adversely affecting the shape of the EU.

“We don’t want EU leadership to resign, even though Jean-Claude Juncker, for example, is not being helpful with the changes; the European president isn’t visible either; he’s being silent. We’ve called on him to come to Poland and perhaps we’ll learn his position,” Waszczykowski said, adding that consideration must be given to the EU’s governance mechanism.

“We must redefine the status of the European Commission and the European Council and their mutual relations, the status of the member states and the European Parliament, relations between all participants of this EU decision-making mechanism,” the minister added. (rg)

Source: MSZ