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'Arrogant': Poland lashes out at France's Macron

August 25, 2017

Poland's premier has cited Emmanuel Macron's lack of political experience for his disparaging comments about Poland. The French president criticized Warsaw for failing to support changes to EU rules on "posted" labor.

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Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo
Image: picture-alliance/PAP/P. Supernak

Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo on Friday lashed out at French President Emmanuel Macron, accusing him of making "arrogant" remarks about Poland due to a lack of political experience.

"I advise the president that he should focus on the affairs of his own country; perhaps he may be able to achieve the same economic results and the same level of security for (French) citizens as those guaranteed by Poland," Szydlo said in a statement.

Read more: Poland's government seeks total control of the court system

Earlier on Friday, Macron said that Poland was isolating itself in Europe. The French president has traveled across Central and Eastern Europe in a bid to shore up support for changes to EU rules on "posted" workers.

Macron believes the practice of posting cheap labor from eastern European countries to western member states leads to "social dumping" and unfair competition in France and other affluent nations.

Macron: 'Polish people deserve better'

However, Poland and Hungary have defended the current EU regulations, saying changes will undermine the European single market. Over the past year, tensions have also risen between Warsaw and the European Commission, the EU's executive body, over controversial judicial reforms.

"Europe is a region created on the basis of values, a relationship with democracy and public freedoms which Poland is today in conflict with," Macron said, speaking from Bulgaria.

Read more: Slovakia eyes kingpin Visegrad role amid EU tensions

"I am convinced that the Polish people deserve better than this, and I think the prime minister and her government will find it quite difficult to explain why it's good for the Polish people to pay Polish workers badly in Poland or the rest of Europe."

During his trip, Macron has managed to gain the support of the Czech Republic and Slovakia, alongside lukewarm backing from Romania. Following meetings with Macron, Bulgaria's President Rumen Radev said changes to EU regulations need to be made "in a way that unites rather than divides Europe."

Polish judges under pressure

ls/rt (Reuters, AFP, dpa)