Polish FM Sikorski: Anti-immigrant hysteria harms Poland
"Anti-immigrant hysteria harms Poland, it awakens the worst demons, and Holocaust denial excludes us from civilised nations", - Sikorski said in a recording published on the X platform.
His statement followed a series of incidents in the country, including a statement by far-right MEP Grzegorz Braun in which he proclaimed that "the gas chambers at Auschwitz were fake".
"Pilecki did not volunteer for Auschwitz so that now some scoundrel undermines his report for political gain," Sikorski replied. Witold Pilecki, a Polish officer and intelligence agent, let himself get arrested and interned at Auschwitz in 1940 to document what was happening there and escaped from the death camp three years later. Before returning to Poland after the war -- where he was executed by the Communist authorities in 1948 -- he compiled and published his reports on the genocide at Auschwitz.
In the recording, Sikorski also recalled incidents in Zamość, where artists from Spain, India, Senegal and Serbia, as well as revellers at the 22nd Eurofolk festival which concluded on Sunday, were insulted and the Municipal Police received reports of a "refugee invasion".
"This is not the only such case in the country," Sikorski commented.
He also referred to the current situation at the Polish-German border, where members of so-called citizen patrols have been shouting anti-immigrant and anti-German slogans. On 7 July, Poland introduced border controls with Germany and Lithuania in response to growing criticism of Germany's decision to send back thousands of migrants who they claimed had illegally crossed the border back into Poland.
"We have the right to control the borders by authorised services. We have the right to know who is legally in Poland. But there is no acquiescence to the escalating campaign of racism and the anti-Semitism it fuels," said the head of Polish diplomacy, adding that as foreign minister, he must take care of Poland's image around the world.
"I am proud of Poland. Poland has always been a hospitable country, and Poles and Polish women are better than those who 'rat on strangers and fuel the spiral of hatred,'" the country's top diplomat stressed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Euronews
6 hours ago
- Euronews
EU-US trade deal will come with consequences, German industries warn
While European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen praised a trade agreement signed between the EU and US on Sunday as a stabilising factor "in uncertain times," representatives of the German economy have expressed concern. Von der Leyen and US President Donald Trump struck a tentative trade deal to avert a potentially devastating tariff war between two of the world's largest economies on Sunday. The majority of EU exports bound for the US will be subject to a 15% tariff. According to a statement made by von der Leyen, this also includes billions of euros in EU investments in the US, as well as the purchase of defence equipment. Tariffs of 15% will now apply to car exports to the US, compared to the previously announced 25%. Import duties on steel are to remain unchanged at 50%. The German economy can breathe a sigh of relief for the time being, according to Managing Director of the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce Helena Melnikov. Melnikov said that worse has been prevented, however, "the deal has its price, and this price is also at the expense of the German and European economies." Wolfgang Niedermark from the Federation of German Industries was more critical. He stated that even a tariff rate of 15% would have an "immense negative impact" on Germany's export-oriented industry. The Federal Association of Wholesale, Foreign Trade and Service also spoke of a "painful compromise" and warned that supply chains would change and prices would rise, saying the deal will cost Germany growth, prosperity and jobs. Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who was satisfied with Sunday's agreement, wrote on X that the deal showed it was possible to "avert a trade conflict". However, a review of Trump's actions to date raises doubts about the reliability of the agreement and the US president's words. In an interview with the Funke media group, Michael Hüther, director of the Institute for the German Economy, said that concerns remained as Trump had never completely taken tariff threats off the table.
Euronews
8 hours ago
- Euronews
Five things we don't know yet about the EU-US trade deal
After weeks of negotiations, the EU and the US reached an agreement on Sunday in the tariff dispute that has split them since mid-March: the EU will face a 15% tariff on its exports to the US, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced. 'We have stabilised on a single 15% tariff rate for the vast majority of EU exports. This rate applies across most sectors, including cars, semiconductors and pharmaceuticals,' she said, adding 'this 15% is a clear ceiling - no stacking, all-inclusive - so it gives much-needed clarity for our citizens and businesses.' Cars, which have been subject to a 27.5% tariff for several months, will now face a 15% tariff. A modest victory for German manufacturers. Von der Leyen also announced that zero-for-zero tariffs will apply to certain chemicals, certain generic drugs, semiconductor-making equipment, some agricultural products (but with the exclusion of all sensitive products like beef, rice, ethanol, sugar or poultry), some natural resources and critical raw materials. However, uncertainties remain regarding the details and the sectors covered by the 15% rate, the legal certainty of the deal reached on Sunday and the purchase and investment commitment of the EU. 1. No legally binding agreement yet The agreement reached will not be legally binding for both parties for some time. When exactly remains uncertain. A joint statement is expected to be released by 1 August— the deadline set by US President Donald Trump when he threatened to impose a 30% tariff on the EU. 'It will be a relatively light joint statement' an EU official said, adding that the EU is also awaiting the adoption of an executive order by the US that would bring some certainty to what has been agreed. Until then, negotiations on exemptions to the 15% tariffs will continue. 'Given that we want to make sure that the US delivers on its parts quickly, we will also want to deliver quickly on our part,' the official said, adding: 'We are currently looking into the exact legal basis together with Council and the European Parliament.' A bilateral international agreement between the EU and the US would take time, so other instruments might be considered by the Commission. 2. Which EU products are exempt? Aircraft will be exempt from the 15% tariffs, meaning they will be sent to the US with no tariffs. The production lines in these sectors are too intertwined for the US to risk making their aircraft more expensive. However, the EU will keep negotiating other exemptions, with wine and spirits high on its agenda. Since the beginning of the negotiation, EU industries have continuously warned about the consequences of a deal that would penalise them. "We truly believe the trade of wine is of great benefit for both EU and US companies, and it must be included in the 0-for-0 tariff arrangement,' Marzia Varvaglione, president of the Comite europeen des entreprises de vin said in a statement on Sunday, adding: 'It's not just the EU side saying this—our US counterparts have also been strong advocates for protecting this vital exchange." 3. Steel and aluminium: a quota system still to be negotiated The US currently imposes 50% tariffs on steel and aluminium. This will stay until both sides agree on a quota system. The Commission remains confident of its leverage in the coming talks however. 'I think that is where economics kick in and business interests kick in,' the same EU official said, adding that the bloc's provision of speciality steel is something that "US manufacturing badly needs'. But the European steel industry appeared rattled on Monday. 'If a zero tariff on our traditional exports to the US is confirmed, we would be going in the right direction,' Axel Eggert, director general of the European Steel Association (EUROFER) said, but he added: 'There is no clarity yet. As always, the devil is in the detail.' The uncertainty is offset by a commitment of the EU and the US to jointly fight global overcapacities, mainly coming from China. 4. Energy: The EU's purchase commitment will depend on its industry. The EU committed to buy $750 billions' worth of US energy over the next three years. That's to say $250 billion annually directed towards US liquefied natural gas, oil and nuclear industries. 'We've been looking at our needs also in terms of the phasing out of energy imports from Russia,' the EU official said. However the official conceded that there is no public commitment to delivering on this since the EU and its institutions will not be doing the actual buying. 'We can help with aggregating demand and facilitating certain things, and we can look at where there are maybe bottlenecks in infrastructure,' the official said. The EU also committed to purchasing US AI microchips on top of the $750 billion. 5. EU investment in the US will depend on business EU companies will invest $600 billion in the US, according to the deal. But here again, there's no public authority that will be monitoring this, as it is the case in the Japan-US deal reached on 22 July where investments are equity, loans and guarantees from state-run agencies. However the Commission ensures it had detailed contacts and discussions with different business associations and companies in order to see what their investment intentions were. 'We have basically been aggregated what we know about investment intentions of private companies. And the way this will be expressed in the joint statement is that it is an intention,' another EU official said, adding: 'So it is not something that the EU as a public authority can guarantee.'
Fashion Network
15 hours ago
- Fashion Network
France lashes out as EU agrees to tariff pact with Washington
France has denounced the new trade agreement between the European Union and the United States as a 'submission,' even as most EU members acknowledged the deal was unequal but necessary to avoid an economically damaging trade war with Washington. The framework agreement, announced Sunday between two economies representing nearly a third of global trade, allows the U.S. to impose a 15% import tariff on most EU goods starting next month. The deal offers limited protection for key sectors, including the automotive and pharmaceutical industries. While the 15% rate is half of what Washington initially threatened, it still exceeds European expectations significantly. U.S. President Donald Trump, who has sought to reshape global trade using tariff leverage since returning to the White House earlier this year, praised the accord during a visit to Scotland, calling it 'the biggest deal ever made.' But France, the EU's second-largest economy, was outspoken in its disapproval. 'It is a dark day when an alliance of free peoples, brought together to affirm their common values and to defend their common interests, resigns itself to submission,' French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou wrote on X (formerly Twitter). French President Emmanuel Macron has made no public statement on the matter. While the mood across Europe was subdued, most governments agreed that failing to reach an agreement would have triggered a far worse scenario. 'This agreement has succeeded in averting a trade conflict that would have hit the export-oriented German economy hard,' said German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, whose country leads the EU bloc's economic rankings. EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic said during a press conference that allowing 30% tariffs to be imposed would have been 'much, much worse.' 'This is clearly the best deal we could get under very difficult circumstances,' he added. Some member states acknowledged the deal provides stability following months of trade tensions with the U.S. Sweden described it as the 'least bad alternative,' while Spain supported it 'without enthusiasm.' A final deal will likely require ratification from EU capitals. Still work to do Because trade policy falls under the European Commission's authority, French objections are unlikely to derail the framework agreement. However, the deal has not yet been finalised. Many of the agreement's specifics remain unknown. EU officials said they expect clarification in a joint statement to be released by August 1. Additional negotiations will follow to turn the agreement into a full-fledged deal. Germany also called for further negotiations, particularly regarding the steel sector. President Trump said the deal—alongside an investment package that exceeds the Japan agreement signed last week—would strengthen trans-Atlantic relations after years of what he described as unfair treatment of U.S. exporters. Japan's package will include up to $550 billion in equity, loans and guarantees from state-run agencies, to be invested at Trump's discretion, according to Tokyo. In contrast, EU officials stated that the EU's $600 billion investment figure is based on non-binding intentions from the private sector. The agreement is expected to bring regulatory clarity to European industries, including those in the automotive, aerospace, and chemical sectors. However, EU negotiators had originally pushed for a zero-for-zero tariff deal. A 15% tariff remains significantly higher than the U.S.'s average import tariff rate of 2.5% before Trump's return. More clarity, but a challenge European stocks opened higher on Monday, with the STOXX 600 reaching a four-month high. Tech and healthcare sectors led the gains. 'The 15% rate is better than the market was fearing,' said Jefferies economist Mohit Kumar. Still, many European businesses remain conflicted about the outcome. 'Those who expect a hurricane are grateful for a storm,' said Wolfgang Große Entrup, head of the German Chemical Industry Association (VCI). 'Further escalation has been avoided. Nevertheless, the price is high for both sides. European exports are losing competitiveness. U.S. customers are paying the tariffs.' A major concern remains how the EU's promise to invest hundreds of billions of dollars in the U.S. and sharply increase energy imports can be realized. It remains unclear whether specific investment pledges have been made, or if the details are still being finalized. While the EU has committed to $750 billion in strategic purchases over the next three years—including oil, liquefied natural gas (LNG), and nuclear fuel—the U.S. may struggle to meet the demand. Though U.S. LNG production capacity is expected to nearly double over the next four years, analysts say it still won't be enough to meet Europe's needs. Oil production forecasts have also been revised downward. Despite the uncertainties, analysts say the deal has reduced market instability. Oil prices edged up on Monday.
