There is once again disagreement in the European " family ". This time it is clanging so hard that sparks are fly-tailing.
Conversational Polish justice minister Zbigniew Ziobro (52) has compared Chancellor Scholz to Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels. More so. According to Ziobro, " Goebbels might even envy Chancellor Scholz for his inventiveness,".
The reason for the attack: a tweet by Scholz on Twitter on the anniversary of Germany's surrender and the end of World War II (8 May 1945).
Scholz had tweeted, "78 years ago, Germany and the world were liberated from the tyranny of National Socialism. For that we remain forever grateful. May 8 reminds us that our democratic rule of law cannot be taken for granted. We must protect and defend it - every day."
Ziobro responded at a press conference with : " There is a limit to absurdity and lies, having insulted the real victims of World War II, the German chancellor has crossed it. He is either an idiot or a false impostor who falsifies and tries to rewrite history in this way. "
According to German newspaper BILD, Poland's justice minister is flustered because Ziobro is in the middle of an election campaign. The country will elect a new parliament and senate in the autumn. Whether Ziobro's far-right party Solidarna Polska will remain part of the government in alliance with the rival ruling party PiS remains an open question.
Incitement against " the alleged insatiable power fantasies " of Germany In Europe ( dixit BILD ) in Europe - such propaganda is still popular with the right-wing fringe among Polish voters.
Interesting facts :
In 2016, Poland's justice minister openly denounced and strongly criticized the EU pressure on the sovereign state
In 2017, Poland enacted a law allowing the secondment or early retirement of judges, which was considered by the EU as a violation of EU law, which decision Poland, however, ignored.
In 2018, Poland's justice minister posted 800 pedophiles by name and photo on the internet.
In 2021, tensions between Poland and the EU rose sharply when Poland's prime minister and justice minister brought proceedings before the Constitutional Court to end EU interference and pronounce itself on what prevails : Polish or European law.
Didier Reynders, judge commissioner on behalf of Belgium in the EU commission responsible for EU justice, then urged Ziobro to withdraw the proceedings for the possible far-reaching implications of the judicial verdict. Ziobro responded with a sneer :" this is another typical example of that irritating, colonial attitude towards Warsaw".
A group of judges who are pro-Western turned against Ziobro. They argued that this effectively put Poland outside the European Union but the minister proved to be unwavering.
All this led to a severe sanction from the EU commission to Poland ( and for that matter also that other obstructionist, Hungary ) : exclusion of Poland from all EU aid funds until the end of 2027, to which Poland responded very firmly. It had not surrendered to the EU.
On 11 May 2023, Poland was again in the news. Following the gruesome death of an 8-year-old boy, the prime minister wants to reintroduce the death penalty.
If all politicians were like the ones in charge in Poland, Hungary and, since the new government took office, also in Italy, the world would immediately be a better place.
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