Media concentration affects democracy says Atilio Boron

What is behind Poland’s claim for compensation from Germany?

By Danay Galletti Hernandez

Journalist of Prensa Latina’s Europa Newsroom

In exclusive statements to Prensa Latina, Raynier Pellón, a researcher at the International Policy Research Center, said that this is a sensitive issue for the Polish population due to the great impact of the war in 2000 materials.

However, the also Master in Contemporary History explained, “as our Apostle José Martí said: in politics what is not seen is real and in this case the subject has been off the bilateral agenda for decades, so why do what the application to this Time?

According to the scientist, there are several criteria: On the one hand, some analysts see the lawsuit as a domestic key to the conservative and far-right Law and Justice (PIS) party, to which the President of the Republic belongs, Andrzej Duda.

According to this criterion, which is also being considered by the opposition, the petition serves to “gain voter support” with regard to the parliamentary elections scheduled for autumn 2023 and aims to select the members of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

EUROPEAN INTEGRATION?

Pellón recalls that the request comes in the context of the European integration process, in which Germany has an undeniable leadership role, “although it is currently facing a structural crisis that is reflected in the economic sphere and in the political and social cohesion of the Member States”.

Likewise, there is great polarization and contradictions between the members of the regional bloc and other powers, the main expression of which is the conflict between Russia and Ukraine that began on February 24, 2022.

How is the Warsaw request linked to the Moscow operation in Kyiv?

“The causes that triggered World War II, a derivative of inter-imperialist conflicts that emerged from World War I, have in some ways always been present in the integration process and among NATO member states.”

In his opinion, for example, there is competition for areas of influence in the world, geopolitical interests and access to raw materials and markets.

Likewise, these setbacks “are exacerbated in times of crisis” and, although his model of unification is “very profound and one of the most successful”, the lack of political cohesion and the different ways of avoiding the imminent collapse of the economic recession.

NEGOTIATION OR ESCALATION

In parallel, Western actors and the United States are interested in the aggravation of the Moscow-Kyiv conflict, with greater repercussions for the European Union nations due to the rise in energy, fuel, “commodity” and inflation prices. . .

The expert spoke of a situation of stagnation because the “EU has probably exhausted the sanctions and pressure package against Russia”, with undoubted impact on the Eurasian country, but with high economic, social and political costs at international level.

“Besides escalation, another possible way is to get to the negotiating table. In this hypothetical scenario, Berlin would be responsible for leading this possible pact. But the Polish government has already expressed interest in a campaign to delegitimize the German executive,” he said.

So this attempt to embarrass the federal cabinet would make any possible agreement between the parties more difficult and presumably “slow the arrival at this moment of conflict and slow the understanding”, all this strongly promoted by Washington.

WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE UNITED STATES?

“When Poland was attacked in 1939, the United States declared a neutral position and its intentions to profit from this confrontation were obvious. Today there are great parallels and once again the country in the north is one of the biggest beneficiaries,” says the researcher.

Some visible manifestations are the parity of the euro with the dollar; its consolidation as an exporter of gas and oil to the European market at a much higher price; and the erosion of relations between Moscow and Berlin, the latter being a distributor of Russian gas on the continent.

Since its inception as a community in November 1993, the European Union has been closely monitored by the White House, which “hinders its autonomous development in the areas of foreign affairs, defense and security; EU instruments in these areas complement NATO.

It has also seen the member states of the geopolitical entity significantly increase their spending in the military sphere, with a historic peak now, as this issue has been a point of divergence within the transatlantic relationship. The matter gained visibility during Donald Trump’s administration (2017-2021) and became a fact under the mandate of Joe Biden.

How do you get European countries, in the context of the economic crisis and recovery after the Covid-19 pandemic, to use this capital to acquire weapons and not for public works, job creation or providing basic services to the population? ?

“By using a sensitive element for society, as in this case the impact of World War II and Germany’s debt to the affected areas or the alleged aggression against Ukraine. In other words, sensitive issues and with a degree of sensitivity are used for the benefit of a few,” he reflected.

No one doubts the positive impact Warsaw’s demanded compensation would have, but according to the analyst, the Polish government is also Eurosceptic, as it does not favor certain areas of the integration process other than those supported by the United States.

POLAND VS RUSSIA

Within the EU and NATO, Poland has been one of the most active states in promoting radical measures against Russia, military support for Ukraine and increasing military spending, aspects that are at odds with its discourse on international relations based on multilateralism.

“There is now the analysis of new security strategies and the emergence of statements alluding to links that focus on violence to justify this preparation of weapons, extremely dangerous issues,” warned Raynier Pellón.

All of this, he argued, hurts the bloc’s economic cohesion, “we perceive the differences and asymmetries between the North and the South within the same region and the aggravation of problems in countries like Greece and Spain, affected by the 2008 crisis and budget cuts.” .

However, despite the sanctions, the Kremlin has found mechanisms and alternatives to keep energy costs in the face of hegemony, export to other markets, avoid the depreciation of the ruble and establish trade relations in the currencies of individual states the dollar.

arc/dgh

germany, poland, second, war, world, russia, ukraine