Former president, Aleksander Kwasniewski's support for the Russian-German Nord Stream project has outraged politicians from both the government and opposition.
According to the German Press Agency (DPA), Kwasniewski declared his support during an interview with the DerWestern portal.
The former Polish president is quoted as saying that the Nord Stream pipeline could secure Poland's chances of receiving steady energy supplies if Poland was to join the project. At the same time Kwasniewski stipulated that he wished the pipeline scheme had been consulted more extensively with Poland at its inception.
"If the project cannot be blocked for environmental reasons, Poland should join in. The pipeline can become part of the common European energy policy and we can benefit from it this way", said Kwasniewski, quoted in the Polish media this morning.
"So far, all serious political parties in this country were of the opinion that we could not possibly agree to this project. Kwasniewski has now espoused a contradictory view, which can cause much harm,” says Konrad Szymanski from the opposition Law and Justice party, adding that the timing of the statement, when the legitimacy of the project is being questioned, is worth noting and “makes one wonder what the former president's motives really are.”
"I remember that Kwasniewski was the first to say the pipeline is a threat to Poland's national interest,” stated Boguslaw Sonik of the ruling Civic Platform.
The most fierce criticism was directed at the former president by Przemyslaw Gosiewski, head of the Law and Justice parliamentary caucus.
"The president's statement is scandalous and we deem it has extremely harmful potential. President Kwasniewski should consider whose interests he is representing,” said Gosiewski at a press conference held earlier today in the Sejm, Poland's lower chamber of parliament.
Nord Stream is a planned gas pipeline from Russia to Germany to be built by Nord Stream AG in cooperation with Russia's Gazprom. It has been criticized on political as well as environmental counts, notably by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
Opponents have seen the pipeline as a move by Russia to bypass traditional transit countries, with some, including Poland, being concerned that Russia's long-term plan is to attempt to exert political influence on them by threatening their gas supply without affecting supplies to Western Europe. (mn)