– I remember the triumphant return of the prime minister from Brussels, when he was delighted with the negotiated amounts (…) It was a success then, not anymore. Success will be achieved when Poland vets the budget and does not get any money, former head of government Leszek Miller said in the “Presidents and Prime Ministers” program. As he added, “to understand this logic, to grasp this immensity of stupidity is really an enormous difficulty”.
I’ll be Miller
/Adam Chelstowski /FORUM Agency
In mid-November, the Polish and Hungarian governments declared that they would not agree to the recently adopted regulation, which introduces the principle of conditional access to EU funds in compliance with the rule of law, and therefore may veto the draft EU multiannual financial framework for 2021-2027. As emphasized by the Polish government, only provisions consistent with the treaties and conclusions of the European Council can be accepted by Poland.
In turn, the president of the European Parliament, David Sassoli, said on Saturday that the EU Reconstruction Fund would enter into force, even if the veto of Poland and Hungary was maintained. – You cannot take a step back – said the head of the EP in an interview with Italian TV.
Leszek Miller said in the program “Presidents and Prime Ministers”that the budget negotiations ended in July. – It was when, after many months or even years, the multiannual financial framework and the Reconstruction Fund were adopted, which Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki rightly described as a gigantic success. To this day, I remember his triumphant return from Brussels, the boards against which he appeared, admired the huge amounts resulting from both the multiannual financial framework and the Reconstruction Fund, said the former prime minister.
As he added, a few months were enough and the success is gone. – Success will be only when Poland veto and will not get the money – he ironized.
“To understand this logic, to grasp the immensity of stupidity that is being presented on this occasion, it really is an enormous difficulty,” said Miller.
As he emphasized, the situation is “zero-one”. – The prime minister does not negotiate fixed amounts – both EUR 1 trillion resulting from the financial perspective and EUR 750 billion resulting from the Reconstruction Fund. It is a strange situation that the prime minister does not want to veto these positions because he does not like them. He is still delighted with them. He wants to veto an accompanying document, which, regardless of whether the veto will be, will be adopted anyway – he said.
As he underlined, the document linking budgetary issues with rule of law issues is after the EP’s first reading, where it “aroused widespread enthusiasm”. He added that the document will be adopted and will come into force on 1 January.
– The only practical result of the prime minister’s veto is the lack of money for Poland – said Miller. – Budgetary conditionality applies even if the budget provisional is used. All provisional expenses will be controlled according to conditionality, he added.
The rulers say that agreeing to the EU proposal would be risky from the perspective of sovereignty. They also claim that it is incompatible with the Treaties. – This can be said by someone who has not read the document or is lying and cheating – assessed the former prime minister. – 25 countries accept this document – he added.
– 25 countries do not have any fears that they will lose their sovereignty and believe that it is needed (document – ed.) So that the money transferred along the way would not be stolen. 25 countries say: “Ok, this is a great document, we accept it, we are not afraid of it, because we do not break the rule of law”, and two countries say: “No, no, because we will lose our sovereignty”. It’s stupid, said Miller.
As he emphasized, “stupidity is dangerous when it is born, and even more dangerous when it produces its first fruits”.
– The veto will hit Poland and Poles, but also EU citizens, but the EU can handle it, and we will be left with our pants lowered and a part of the body bare and we will be helplessly biting our fists and saying “God, this Union has hurt us, etc.” , but the EU will harm us at its own request – said the former prime minister.
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