The departure of such a significant political and economic member state such as Great Britain will inevitably impact on the balance of power in European politics.
The rule of law dispute is a part of this ongoing reset.
The fact that the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland have joined the European Commission in its action against Poland’s judicial reform before the European Court of Justice has ruled on the case has to do with countries building their own position in the EU after they lost their key ally of Britain. An EU without Britain means that in the dispute over the budget the balance of forces between ‘the misers’, Southern Europe and Central Europe, has changed, with Germany now adopting a convenient role of arbiter. Britain’s size and strength allowed the Northern countries, sometimes called the ‘group of misers’ or ‘Frugal Four’, to counterbalance the strength of both Germany and the countries of Southern Europe. Now these countries are positioning themselves against Central Europe.
An EU without Britain means that in the dispute over the budget and the balance of forces between ‘the misers’, Southern Europe and Central Europe, has changed, with Germany now adopting a convenient role of arbiter. France is now a country in crisis and finds it difficult to match Germany’s influence.
Poland has been slow in responding to these changes.
We are still living in the past when we felt that our membership of the EU was an act of charity on behalf of Western Europe or an existential threat. We are still living in the past and concerned about potential betrayal or the end of Polish identity. This excessively emotional stance is not helping us to cope with reality.
That reality is that we have our own independence. We now need to be involved in the resetting of Europe in order to be able to further our own interests.
