Friction with UK causes Warsaw to seek allies elsewhere Friction between Warsaw and London over the British proposal for the 2007-2013 EU budget, which could see as much as €14bn ($16.5bn, £9.4bn)) cut in funds for new member states, is forcing Poland to look elsewhere in Europe for allies in the negotiations. Britain won a positive image in Poland by being one of only three EU members to fully open its labour markets to the 10 countries that joined in 2004. (...) But Britain's hardball negotiating tactics over the budget are leaving bruised feelings in Warsaw and the French government has been making strenuous efforts to improve relations with the new Polish regime. (...) Poland has also found new reasons to co-operate with France as both countries are significant beneficiaries of the EU's Common Agricultural Policy, leading to what the Polish foreign ministry called a "micro-alliance with France". (...) For Poland, Britain's view of the EU seems to have been captured by a controversial e-mail sent by Charles Crawford, the British ambassador in Warsaw, to his superiors in London. He denounced the "hypocrisy and absurdity" of the budgeting process and criticised the "rudeness and ingratitude" of the EU's new central European members. Mr Crawford's office explained the leaked e-mail was a joke. The Polish foreign ministry plans to invite him over to discuss the differences between Polish and British senses of humour. But Polish officials in Brussels were aghast at Mr Crawford's "joke memo", saying it would only fuel concerns in eastern Europe about Britain's reliability as a partner. "This will do dramatic damage to Britain's image in eastern Europe," said one official. "It will be difficult to persuade people to trust the Brits in future. Tony Blair will have to pay more now to allay those concerns." "It was always absurd for Polish politicians to talk about building a new EU based on relations with London. That's why I'm grateful for Crawford's letter because it's a lesson on Britain's views of the EU," said Marek Sarjusz-Wolski, editor of the Unia & Polska, a monthly focusing on European issues.
Friction between Warsaw and London over the British proposal for the 2007-2013 EU budget, which could see as much as €14bn ($16.5bn, £9.4bn)) cut in funds for new member states, is forcing Poland to look elsewhere in Europe for allies in the negotiations.
Britain won a positive image in Poland by being one of only three EU members to fully open its labour markets to the 10 countries that joined in 2004.
(...)
But Britain's hardball negotiating tactics over the budget are leaving bruised feelings in Warsaw and the French government has been making strenuous efforts to improve relations with the new Polish regime.
Poland has also found new reasons to co-operate with France as both countries are significant beneficiaries of the EU's Common Agricultural Policy, leading to what the Polish foreign ministry called a "micro-alliance with France".
For Poland, Britain's view of the EU seems to have been captured by a controversial e-mail sent by Charles Crawford, the British ambassador in Warsaw, to his superiors in London.
He denounced the "hypocrisy and absurdity" of the budgeting process and criticised the "rudeness and ingratitude" of the EU's new central European members.
Mr Crawford's office explained the leaked e-mail was a joke. The Polish foreign ministry plans to invite him over to discuss the differences between Polish and British senses of humour. But Polish officials in Brussels were aghast at Mr Crawford's "joke memo", saying it would only fuel concerns in eastern Europe about Britain's reliability as a partner.
"This will do dramatic damage to Britain's image in eastern Europe," said one official. "It will be difficult to persuade people to trust the Brits in future. Tony Blair will have to pay more now to allay those concerns."
"It was always absurd for Polish politicians to talk about building a new EU based on relations with London. That's why I'm grateful for Crawford's letter because it's a lesson on Britain's views of the EU," said Marek Sarjusz-Wolski, editor of the Unia & Polska, a monthly focusing on European issues.
Remember that Straw endorsed it. In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
It was always absurd for Polish politicians to talk about building a new EU based on relations with London.
