Europe must build 'credible, strong' military force: Polish PM
Pastor Dale Morgan
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Saturday September 2, 2:29 AM
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Europe must build 'credible, strong' military force: Polish PM*
The European Union's 25 nations must develop a common foreign policy and
build a "credible" military force if Europe "is to be taken seriously,"
Polish Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski said in an interview.
"I believe that such a foreign policy could be of benefit to Europe and
the world, but if Europe is to be taken seriously, it must be much
stronger -- stronger also in military terms. It should have its own
credible military force," Kaczynski said in the interview given to the
France-based Euronews network.
"We must look into this so that the EU can become an equal partner, on
the same scale as the US and China, which, as I said earlier, will
become a great power.
"Europe must be strong militarily; that's what I would like for the
European Union," Kaczynski told Euronews during a one-day visit to
Brussels this week during which the recently sworn in Polish leader was
at pains to burnish his country's tarnished image.
Since he came to office last month, Kaczynski's government has appeared
isolationist and has raised eyebrows in the EU with its hardline
attitude toward homosexuals, Jews and the death penalty.
In the interview with EuroNews, Kaczynski played down the chances of
success of a proposal by the far-right League of Polish Families --
which is part of the ruling coalition in Poland -- to bring back the
death penalty.
"This was proposed not by my party, but by another. They have the right
to propose the death penalty, but this is a small party with only about
20 members of parliament, and in practical terms, this isn't an
important proposal," he said.
The former activist in the Solidarity trade union, which this week
marked the 26th anniversary of its creation as the first workers' union
in the communist bloc, also vowed to defend Poland's financially
embattled shipyards.
The European Commission last year opened a formal inquiry into alleged
unfair subsidies paid by the Polish state to its three biggest
shipyards, in Gdansk, Gdynia and Szczeczin, which together employ 20,000
workers.
The aid would only be legal if it were accompanied by "meaningful
restructuring plans" for the three yards, the EU has said.
Poland had until Friday to clarify its restructuring plans for the
yards. If the EU rejects the plans, the European Commission could order
that state aid given to the yards be paid back, which could drive them
into bankruptcy.
"The European Commission acts within the framework of European law,"
Kaczynski said.
"I am happy that I succeeded in convincing EU President (Jose Manuel)
Barroso that the case should not be dropped, that we must continue our
efforts to seek a positive outcome," he added.
"But if you ask me the question: am I ready to defend -- at all costs --
the shipyards where I spent weeks as a Solidarity demonstrator? The
answer is, I am ready to defend them. At all costs."
The interview will be aired on Euronews at 1915 GMT Friday.