Europe's latest rogue state
Poland's recent undemocratic policies are actually threatening the unity of the EU even more than the Brexit. UK's aspirations to emancipate itself from the rest of Europe could always be contained to some extent by the remaining participants in the European project, by means of their close economic ties. Despite the temporary volatility of the markets in the weeks after the referendum, the EU will likely survive without Britain, and vice versa.
However, it's much less likely that the EU would tolerate the systematic violations of its laws and principles, and the disregard for its values by members who've joined some 10 years ago, their entry having cost the union taking a lot of risks and additional expenses - and are already causing major turbulence in return.
Just a year ago, Poland was enjoying unprecedented influence in the EU. After they joined, they made some bold reforms, they developed their economy to a point where it became one of the driving engines of the continent. What's more, two years ago the EU leaders "symbolically" appointed Polish prime-minister Tusk chairman of the European Council. Poland became an island of political and economic stability, and its voice started to get heard by everybody.
But things changed in 2015, when Jaroslaw Kaczynski came to power. Poland soon came to odds with its most crucial partner, Germany, and its reputation as a reliable European partner was tarnished after its refusal to cooperate on the migration and climate change issues.
Poland also changed its media laws and the laws that regulate the Constitutional Court in a way that put the very foundations of the young Polish democracy in question, and resulted in a penalty procedure by the EC.
The prevailing moods in Poland are currently very favorable to the Euroskeptics. This tendency could undermine the European norms and living standard, while taking advantage of the European membership that the country is enjoying. And this could do a much greater damage to the EU than the Brexit itself.
However, it's much less likely that the EU would tolerate the systematic violations of its laws and principles, and the disregard for its values by members who've joined some 10 years ago, their entry having cost the union taking a lot of risks and additional expenses - and are already causing major turbulence in return.
Just a year ago, Poland was enjoying unprecedented influence in the EU. After they joined, they made some bold reforms, they developed their economy to a point where it became one of the driving engines of the continent. What's more, two years ago the EU leaders "symbolically" appointed Polish prime-minister Tusk chairman of the European Council. Poland became an island of political and economic stability, and its voice started to get heard by everybody.
But things changed in 2015, when Jaroslaw Kaczynski came to power. Poland soon came to odds with its most crucial partner, Germany, and its reputation as a reliable European partner was tarnished after its refusal to cooperate on the migration and climate change issues.
Poland also changed its media laws and the laws that regulate the Constitutional Court in a way that put the very foundations of the young Polish democracy in question, and resulted in a penalty procedure by the EC.
The prevailing moods in Poland are currently very favorable to the Euroskeptics. This tendency could undermine the European norms and living standard, while taking advantage of the European membership that the country is enjoying. And this could do a much greater damage to the EU than the Brexit itself.