Sarkozy, Komorowski and Merkel in Warsaw; photo - Jacek Turczyk/PAP

Despite an attempt to show solidarity, leaders of Poland, France and Germany couldn’t cover up differences within the EU over future budget spending levels and the prospect of a ‘two-speed’ Europe at a meeting of the Weimar Triangle in Warsaw, Monday.

President Nicolas Sarkozy and Chancellor Angela Merkel, in Warsaw today for a meeting of the Weimar Triangle, defended a plan to have separate finance meetings for those in and outside the euro zone, in the wake of the financial meltdown in Europe which has required bailout packages for countries like Greece and Ireland.

“We told President Komorowski that since the 17 states in the euro zone have a common currency, it's normal they should meet to discuss matters related to that currency," President Sarkozy said today after a meeting with Poland’s head of state at Wilanow Palace.

Last Friday, however, Poland’s prime minister Donald Tusk warned of a “two-speed Europe” of countries outside the euro zone, like Poland, if they were left out of such meetings.

France and Germany on the one hand and Poland on the other, are also at odds over future EU budget spending.

Asked by journalists whether Paris and Berlin were prepared to support Poland's efforts to maintain the level of the EU budget, specifically with regard to aid programmes – of which Poland is a major benefactor - Komorowski stepped in to say that it was too early to reach conclusions.

“We discussed money,” Poland's president told journalists. “But not in the context of the future budget's perspective. At the moment, we are all waiting for the proposals of the European Commission in this field. It's there that the discussion on the form of the budget, and its realistic possibilities and priorities, are taking shape.”

“The leaders of the Weimar Triangle states did not have time on Monday to discuss precise details of the EU budget,” said German Chancellor Angela Merkel at a press conference this afternoon. “We are hoping for the best, and that the negotiations will be good,” Chancellor Merkel insisted.

President Sarkozy underlined that all the countries in the EU must understand the necessity to reduce the deficit of the budget of individual member states:

“We cannot treat the European budget other than through the states,” he said, “because the European budget is directly connected to the budgets of those countries.”

It has been estimated that Poland needs at least the same amount of structural funds it received in the years 2007-2013 (67 billion euros) in the period commencing in 2014.

Reviving the triangle

The meeting between Poland, Germany and France was eighth top level meeting of the Weimar Triangle, a grouping founded in 1991 in Weimar as a means of aiding Poland in its transition from communism.

The summits had become infrequent in recent years, but President Komorowski is endeavouring to re-consolidate the ties.

Komorowski, whose country is relatively new to both the EU and NATO, believes that the maintenance of the Weimar Triangle is of importance if Poland is to strengthen its status in European affairs.

He regrets that the summit was not maintained by his predecessor Lech Kaczynski, a situation which he puts down to “overreacting” to articles in Germany's satirical press. (pg/nh)

Related stories:

Weimar Triangle summits revived, polishradio.pl Feb 7

Neglecting Weimar Triangle ‘Poland’s mistake’, says Komorowski, thenews.pl Feb 7