Poland's Minister of Justice Zbigniew Ziobro proposed on Tuesday (April 26) to suspend the country's EU budget contribution, either in full or partially. Ziobro, who is also chief of junior coalition partner United Poland, argued that the proposal is a reaction to the costs Poland was incurring due to the war in Ukraine and the consequential migrant crisis.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Poland's Minister of Justice Zbigniew Ziobro said Poland was a country which "carries the biggest financial support for Ukraine after the USA". "These costs are estimated at billions of zlotys," he said, pointing out the difficult economic situation and high inflation, caused - in his opinion - by "Putin's war and EU's climate and energy policy".
"In the name of values that unite the European Economic Community countries (...) based on the treaties we have the right to request that declaration of solidarity exist not only in words (...), but also be manifested in actual, tangible financial support, because that's what's necessary at the moment. Not for us as Poland, but for the refugees," the minister said.
Ziobro put forward a proposal to ask the European Commission to allow Poland to suspend its EU budget contribution, either in full or partially, "for the duration of this crisis, spectacular, unprecendented, historic situation of the influx of nearly three million refugees to Poland".
He also expressed hope the EU executive would consider the proposal "in the name of mutual cooperation and solidarity", so that "this money could be earmarked not for some other purposes, but only one goal which we all should share - that is support for and solidarity with the refugees".
Źródło: TVN24 News in English, PAP