Szydło meets with Macron to repair strained relations

PM Beata Szydło met with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris in an attempt to patch things up after relations between two countries became strained in recent months due to a number of issues including posted workers, concerns over rule of law in Poland, and recently the Pope John Paul II monument in France. “We cannot ignore the fact that since I became president six months ago this relationship has probably not been at its strongest or most positive,” Macron told a joint press conference. “We were able to clarify many doubts, but, naturally, there remain issues that still divide us, which is a natural thing, because the interests of France are different from the interests of Poland,” Szydło responded. While Macron said that judiciary reform is an internal matter of Warsaw, he added that France fully supports a European Commission examination of the reforms, and if they’re found to violate EU treaties, then “we will draw all the consequences.” The EU is pressing a legal case against Poland over its judicial reform plans and has suggested the country could forfeit some development funds if it refuses to change course. On the issue of posted workers, both Macron and Szydło said there was room for compromise. “The most important thing is that we sit together at the table and talk,” Szydło said. After her visit, Szydło invited Macron to Poland to attend next year’s 100^th anniversary of Poland regaining its independence.