German press slams 'egotistic' Poland and Britain after summit (Uh-oh!)

(BERLIN) - The German press on Sunday slammed Poland and Britain for putting obstacles on the road to the deal reached on guidelines for a new European Union treaty at the bloc's summit this week.

Bild, the country's top selling newspaper, reserved its harshest criticism for neighbouring Poland, calling the Kaczynski twins who hold the posts of Polish president and prime minister "poison dwarves".

"It would have been better if this summit had failed," the newspaper said in an editorial, adding that the bitter dispute over Poland's voting rights has shown that there is little hope for unity in the EU.

"That would have prevented the creation of a Europe of two speeds and two classes. The sickening double game played by the Polish brothers Kaczynski should make it clear to any fan of Europe that this is now inevitable."

Relations between Poland and Germany have never been warm since World War II and took another beating when Warsaw threatened to veto a deal on a new treaty over the voting rights issue.

Before the summit began, the deeply conservative Polish President Lech Kaczynski and his twin Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski evoked Poland's destruction at the hands of Nazi Germany as a reason why its population, and therefore its voting power, was so low.

In the end, Poland won a considerable concession on the voting issue in Brussels, persuading the bloc's other 26 members to delay the full introduction of the new system until 2017.

"Warsaw is on board. But the treaty should not yet be considered saved," Der Tagesspiegel newspaper said.

It warned that the upcoming intergovernmental conference to finalize drafting the treaty and the ratification process present "the next obstacles."

The Berliner Morgenpost agreed, saying that "disaster has been averted, for now."

"It is annoying to see to what extent the nationalistic, egotistical blocking tactics of Poland and Britain paid off," it added.

The newspaper said it feared that a dangerous precedent has been set whereby nations who threaten to block progress within the European Union will be given concessions in return for their cooperation.

"After a success like the one claimed by Poland, there is a danger that this tactic will become common currency."

Welt am Sonntag described the haggling that preceded the deal as "torture" and said despite its eventual success the summit will be remembered mostly for Britain and Poland's "egotistical" behaviour.

It predicted that relations between Berlin and Warsaw were heading for an "icy spell".

"Poland has failed to understand that the point of the European Union is to bury the hatred we inherited," the newspaper commented.

‘’ Our only problem now in Europe lies with Germany. We need to pressure this worthless welfare state to implement viable sanctions against Iran.’’

LOL. Good luck cowboy!!

‘’Our ideological foe is Germany, as this state opposes the spread of freedom abroad (remember their staunch opposition to the removal of Saddam’s government).’’

ROTFL!
Most of the European peoples voted against YOUR Iraq war at the time, even the ones that sent a few troops. Lets hope your future government decisions will adopt more wisdom to the subject than you display here. Otherwise the Western world will be in big trouble !!

“LOL. Good luck cowboy!!”

You got that right! I have serious doubts that the Germans are willing to put meaningful sanctions on Iran.

“ROTFL!
Most of the European peoples voted against YOUR Iraq war at the time”

Voted where? What are you referring to here? What vote? France and Britain are the only European members of the P5, and they voted to authorize military action via the UNSC resolutions. Germany isn’t a member of the P5, despite their foolish attempts to become one.

“Lets hope your future government decisions will adopt more wisdom to the subject than you display here.”

Removing Saddam’s government has been U.S. policy since ‘98. Continued appeasement isn’t something that I would consider great wisdom. However, there is a message board full of terrorist appeasing sympathizers, people, just like you, that believe the continued appeasement of murderous dictators is a path of great wisdom. The message board is called the democratic underground. Perhaps you would find their posts more enlightening (I have no idea why you are on a conservative forum to begin with.) They, as you, also enjoy posting substance-free messages.

‘’
Voted where? What are you referring to here? What vote’’

I suggest you broaden your horizon and have a luck at some polls that have been done in many European countries at that time. AFAIK most people(between 50 and 80 percent) disapproved the war. Just calling a spate a spate..
‘’
appeasing sympathizers, people, just like you, that believe the continued appeasement of murderous dictators is a path of great wisdom. The message board is called the democratic underground. Perhaps you ...’’

Blablaba..
More simplistic BS.

“I suggest you broaden your horizon and have a luck at some polls that have been done in many European countries at that time.”

Why would you think a conservative such as myself would believe that European opinion polls should dictate U.S. foreign policy? Adopting such a mind set would ‘broaden my horizon’? How?

“Blablaba..
More simplistic BS”

On the contrary. It’s simple really. Saddam signed a cease fire agreement with us that ended the first gulf war. He refused to abide by the terms of this cease fire. By allowing him to continually and blatently violate said terms, this constituted continued appeasement of this murderous dictator. Do you contest this? (I’m hoping you will reply with substance, but you have yet to offer anything more than silly one liners that have no substance). Removing the government of Saddam was prefered over continued appeasement. What would your solution be, other than the continued appeasement of Saddam? (I’m guessing you won’t answer this with any substance either). You labled my last reply ‘BS’. What statements have I made that you consider infactual. (I’m hoping a response of substance rather than your snide one-liners that have no substance what-so-ever).

‘’Our only problem now in Europe lies with Germany.’’
I was referring to this line of your posting. In most European countries the majority of the people - as indicated by these polls - were against the war in Iraq, NOT ONLY Germany. You could say, that some governments ( IIRC: UK, Italy, Spain etc) even acted against the will of the majority of their people. Just calling a spade a spade. However, I don’t like the fact, that our than chancellor G. Schroeder messed up our relationship with the US of A for some cheap electoral gains at that time.

‘’ Removing the government of Saddam was preferred over continued appeasement. What would your solution be, other than the continued appeasement of Saddam? ‘’
This is - even with hindsight - difficult to answer:
I don’t think Saddam was a real danger after the first ME war. His power was weakened , I guess he has learnt his lesson (i.e. don’t invade Kuwait etc ) and he had a grip on this terrorist issue. He was a brutal dictators but I’m afraid, he is not the only one on the planet. The weapons of mass destruction was a hoax as well as we know by now, so why remove him and not Mugabe for example ??. I have just read an BBC article about the subject why Brits leave their army in droves. Some army guys, who fought in ME argued, the war in Iraq( and Afghanistan for this matter) is unwinnable. Terrorist attacks have increased worldwide as well obviously using this war as a role model. I guess it is save to say this war is everything but a success!
Maybe a better way would have been( and still might be)fight the WOT with intelligence single command actions. And of course in this case the countries inspired by Western culture values have to work much closer together as they do now( this includes Germany as well of course !). This is a cultural clash, you can’t win it just by invading a country.

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