The EU is in a dangerously straddled position today. Some member states - France, Italy - want to save their economies at others' expense. Paris, for instance, is planning to subsidise its car manufacturers, in return expecting them not to close down assembly plants in France; let they close those in other countries.
The idea of eurobonds has also been hanging in the air, i.e. debt securities issued jointly by the eurozone countries. An issue of such low-risk bonds would harm non-euro countries, including Poland, because they would have to offer much higher yields for anyone to buy their bonds. Debt servicing costs would rise significantly.
On the other side of the barricade are the new member states. It is them that would lose more than anyone else on economic protectionism.
At the EU's mini-summit in Brussels this Sunday it will become clear which strategy is prevailing. To force through Poland's position on the matter, the Warsaw government is trying to build a coalition. Prime Minister
Donald Tusk wants to repeat the success from last December when he managed to unite nine countries and secure a schedule of carbon dioxide emission reductions favourable for the new member states.
'We want to block a potential eurobond proposal. We'll do everything to prevent a two-speed Europe, and an eurobond issue would mean precisely that,' Deputy Prime Minister
Grzegorz Schetyna tells Gazeta.
'We need an effective political offensive. An even more intense activity will be needed than with the climate package.'
'The Brussels summit is to demonstrate that even though the crisis has hit different member states at various degrees, Europe continues to speak in one voice. That there'll be no division between better and less better member states,' says Mikołaj Dowgielewicz, minister for European affairs.
'The crisis must not become an excuse for dismantling the single market.'
Warsaw's diplomatic activity has been intense for the last couple of days. Support of eight countries has been secured so far: Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia,
Estonia, Romania and Bulgaria.
The Commission supports Poland's position too. José Manuel Barroso is to be present at breakfast on Sunday at 11 a.m. at the office of the Polish representation to the EU at Avenue de Tervueren. The mini-summit begins a couple of hours later.
Mr Tusk's cabinet is also working to secure the support of the major European players.
'We're counting on the Netherlands and the Scandinavian countries taking a stand in defence of the common market. Germany's position is similar to ours too,' says Mr Dowgielewicz.
Mr Tusk meets Chancellor
Angela Merkel in Hamburg late on Friday. Ms Merkel is known to be opposed to the eurobond idea.
But even if the 27 governments adopt at the Sunday mini-summit a position favourable for Poland and the new member states, it will only be in the next three weeks that it becomes clear whether they mean what they say. By 19 March the EU is to make a number of key economic policy decisions, including on the car industry rescue plans planned by the different national governments.
Signals from the commission have been encouraging: it is opposed to all forms of aid that would harm other member states.
'Protectionism, it is quite clear, is not what the overall industry or the people of Europe need. We must lay down a clear red line in this regard,' Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes said yesterday.
'The single market is not just for selling their cars but also for their production sites,' she said referring to old-EU carmakers.
The second test will be the question of an extra 3.5 billion from the EU budget that is to be earmarked on energy projects, 0.5 billion of which is to be granted to Poland. The Commission wants to give us these funds but several countries (including Germany) continue blocking the payment.
'Still, there's been a growing understanding on this point. I trust the 3.5 billion can be secured,' Mr Dowgielewicz tells Gazeta.
Chair War Again The Czech presidency said there would be only one seat for Poland at the Sunday mini-summit in Brussels. Yet both PM Donald Tusk and President
Lech Kaczyński are going to Brussels. The Czechs are afraid that if they give Poland two seats, they will encourage their own president, Vaclav Klaus, an avowed eurosceptic, to demand one for himself too. This is something Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek wants to avoid because Mr Klaus's presence would be extremely awkward for him.
'We're doing our best to secure that extra seat anyway,' cabinet spokesperson Paweł Graś told Gazeta yesterday. 'Everything will be clear on Thursday.'
translated by Marcin Wawrzyńczak
