Euro-zone takes advantage but Poland pays

Mariusz Książek talks to the Euro-deputy Konrad Szymański about the dangers for Poland connected with the crisis in the European Union and how our country should find itself in the new European Union conditions.

MARIUSZ KSIĄŻEK: - During his pronouncement in Berlin the Foreign Minister RadosŁaw Sikorski said that Germany should be the main country in the European Union to save it from the crisis and dictate conditions. How was this pronouncement perceived by other members of the Euro Parliament, especially by the fraction European Conservatives and Reformers (ECR), to which you belong?

KONRAD SZYMAŃSKI: - There was more understanding among the conservatives from the sphere of euro - Holland or Belgium - than those who are outside it. The first ones count on the fact that for the sake of saving euro, the excessive burdening will not happen to these countries, which are pursuing the budget policy. The conservatives outside the sphere are dominated by fear of a new role of the European Union. The growing role of the European Commission - and in fact - Germany - France - fills everybody with fear. In Europe we need to rebuild the growth in the membership countries, but not bigger authority of Brussels over the economic policy. It is suggested, as a recipe, that the European Union should create federation and bring relationships among countries closer, or even return some sovereignty for the sake of the European Commission, in order to come out of troubles. What another solution do you see for Poland, which would not force us to such actions but would be effective in such a difficult economic situation? Poland must concentrate its political efforts on defending equal rights, equal access of Polish companies and citizens to the common market. It is the only long-wave advantage of the membership in the EU. We should care for a guarantee for our independence in creating the tax policy, as well as the policy of employment and social policy. Concentrating the authority in Brussels and in fact in Berlin and Paris, federal ideas about the United States - are foreign scenarios which we should avoid. They threaten with the liquidation of our competitive prevails on the community market. It is a permanent inclusion of us in the orbit of Germany.

- What are the dangers for Poland after the realization of the declaration by the Prime Minister Donald Tusk about entering the common repairing project in the European Union during the summit meeting on 9 December 2011?

- There is a real threat that that through neglecting the constitution of the Polish Republic, the Polish Central bank will give money to save the sphere of euro while facing the crisis of getting into debts which we did not cause. The condition of euro is very important to us, but those should pay who have caused the crisis and those who have caused this system, knowing its basic disadvantages. Firstly, these are the most indebted countries. Secondly, these countries, including Germany and France, which first agreed on introducing the common currency on the political order with breaching the rules of healthy fiscal policy, and then they were looking at the increasing separation of economies of euro-zone for years, while counting on the fact that their own trade superiorities would justify tolerance to the economies of the South, which are radically becoming indebted. In this cynical race banks went further and built a market for shares of collapsing countries. They clearly admitted that the project of euro would be saved for all the money and, therefore, they stopped reasonably evaluating the risk. And now those politicians, who were for the introduction of euro by force, should pay.

- Some countries outside the sphere of euro (for example Czech Republic, Hungary, Switzerland) announced that they would have to ask for opinion of their parliamentarians, that is, their nations, before making a decision about entrance into a new difficult agreement in the European Union. Poland did not take an advantage of this possibility during the summit meeting, declaring its acceptance new conditions of the cooperation in the European Union. How will you comment on it?

- In the recent years we have been dealing with a radical weakening the control function of the Polish Seym, especially in the area of the European policy. Poland was the only country where there was no debate on the direction of the policy of the government in this important moment before the summit meeting. It is a long-wave policy for the Seym to become an ostentatious body. It goes together with weakening the substantial function of the Seym, its abilities for independent analysis. The government has bigger and bigger superiority for the reason of more and more professional character of legislation and short-sighted constraint of finances of the Seym. This disproportion is shocking and weakens our democracy.

- David Cameron, the chief of the government in Great Britain, was the only one to state his opinion during the EU summit meeting that the formula of the cooperation in the European Union proposed by Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy, did not lie in the interest of his country and he refused to participate in this process. What consequences would be for our country if Poland declared a similar attitude?

- During the summit meeting Poland should play more than one, German, piano. We should not close ourselves to conversations with other areas of the European Union, especially with Scandinavia, countries of the Central Europe, Ireland and Great Britain. It would be narrowing of the field of manoeuvre contradicted with the basic rules of negotiation. The common achievement of such a considerable group of countries could be inclusion of clear rules concerning the openness of the common market and the sovereignty in the tax area and employment policy in the conclusion of the Council. It is not late yet. We should take up this action now when very quick negotiations about a specific text of the treaty start.

- What consequences will be for Poland after accepting a new agreement of the cooperation within the European Union after the declaration by the Prime Minister?

- Poland may lose its influence and control over its economic policy for the appearances of its participation in the main trend of the European integration. If the French ideas, compatible with their tradition of the policy primacy over economy, become law in the new European Union, we will pay for it at the cost of the weaker growth and the fall in the competitiveness. The second area is burdening the National Polish Bank (Pol. NBP) and a Polish taxpayer with the costs of anti-crisis actions, taken up towards not our currency because of the crisis which has not been caused by us.

Konrad Szymański the parliamentarian of the Law and Justice Party (Pol. PiS) for the European Parliament. More on: www.konradszymanski.pl

(AA)

"Niedziela" 02/2012

Editor: Tygodnik Katolicki "Niedziela", ul. 3 Maja 12, 42-200 Czestochowa, Polska
Editor-in-chief: Fr Jaroslaw Grabowski • E-mail: redakcja@niedziela.pl