There’s been a fractious spat in the EU with Poland after a near universal vote to reappoint Polish Donald Tusk as European council president. Clearly he’s not popular at home. As one of the largest recipients of EU funds, Poland would hardly seem to be in a position to lay down the law, even more so considering the EU parliament last year passed a resolution condemning PM Beato Szydio’s for meddling with the Polish Constitutional Court saying it endangered “democracy, human rights and the rule of law”. But she’s come out all guns blazing saying they would not be blackmailed.
The Poland 24 Aug 1989 1.05pm Warsaw/EU relationship chart is in a flashpoint year with tr Uranus opposition the composite Uranus and Mars, hotting up in April, on and off till early 2018. With a separating tr Uranus opposition the composite Sun in 2019. So the differences won’t subside.
Poland joined the EU on 1 May 2004 along with Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Slovakia, and Slovenia. That chart is on a collision course exactly now with Solar Arc Mars conjunct Saturn, certainly bad tempered, with tr Saturn also this year in an irritable opposition to the Mars, and square the Mars/Pluto midpoint; with a dead-halt Solar Arc Pluto opposition Saturn by 2021, when there is also tr Uranus conjunct the Sun.
The possibilities of getting anywhere near a unanimous agreement on almost anything look slim whether Brexit or a two-speed EU ahead, split into the haves and the have-nots..
Interestingly, many of the countries which joined EU with Poland, are very happy being in The EU and/or needing the Union now more than ever. I already mentioned Malta and Cyprus, but there are also The Baltic States and Slovenia. Malta and Estonia will also hold EU Presidency this year, giving their point of view more “power”.
I’m also going to say that a lot of the internal strife Poland is economical. It’s an interesting, but not unique, case in which bigger cities and their inhabitants in them have benefitted from The EU membership tremendously. Masovian Province now have a GDP per capita exceeding that of many Western European areas. And then there are areas that have a GDP below Lituanian or Latvian average. But the fact is, Poland needs to be able to import their workforce, who’ll invest their salaries in the home country also after The Brexit. Also, I would not count the Armed Forces out as a factor in Polish politics, and they will want to keep up working with European partners inside NATO or inside a new Northern European, Brittish driven alliance that would include currently neutral countries such as Sweden and Finland, and non-EU country Norway.
Marjorie,
Will the A8 + Cyprus & Malta be sweet to the UK during the Brexit process? Or will they be the most vitriolic?
I’m sorry to say, but as long as they wish to be part of The EU, Cyprus and Malta will not have much space to move with The Britain at least up until The Brexit process is finished, if everything goes as planned in May 2019, but probably later. After that, the will definitely put their relations with The EU Countries before relations to The UK. Malta has had an incredible economical boom thanks to The EU, Cyprus’ economy would collapse without The EU help. Both are in front line of the on going refugee crisis, with boats arriving directly to their shores, and it could become really devastating for Cyprus, is the old enemy Turkey decided to “weaponize” migrant routes the same way Russia attempted to do by letting Syrian refugees pass through their territory to Norway and Finland early 2016. The UK has done precious little to solve this problem even inside The EU, and now, they’ve completely washed their hands.
So, I’m afraid they’ll put their current interests before old Imperial ties, any time.
Your comments are rational and make political sense.
However, my question was a request to Marjorie to look at the chart of the accession date. All these countries acceded to the EU at the same time and that may underline a common approach, common fears and common ambitions.