A debate took place in the European Parliament on Germany's reintroduction of border controls. The decision was criticized by Polish members of the European Parliament. – You don't learn from your mistakes, but you want others to bear the costs. This destroys European solidarity. More and more often in the European Parliament we ask ourselves: who stole Germany from Europe? – said Bartłomiej Sienkiewicz (PO).
During the debate in the European Parliament, Polish MEPs unanimously criticized Germany for restoring control on its borders.
The debate that took place on Monday in Strasbourg was organized in connection with… Germany restoring control on all nine borders with neighboring countries.
Sienkiewicz warns Germany against “national egoism”
Bartłomiej Sienkiewicz from PO (in the EP he belongs to the center-right European People's Party) said that the Polish authorities learned about the reintroduction of border controls the day before their introduction from the German media. – It was simply a show of arrogance – said the politician.
– The current German government does not want to strengthen external borders, but strengthens internal borders – he emphasized. In his opinion, this is a manifestation of a broader phenomenon. – The principle: what is good for Germany is good for Europe has long ceased to apply. I warn against national egoism. No country is strong enough to cope with the challenges of the entire continent, said Sienkiewicz.
In his opinion, such an assumption is as disastrous as “dependence on raw materials from Russia, automotive dependence on China or escaping to national borders from immigration.”
– You don't learn from your mistakes, but you want others to bear the costs. This destroys European solidarity. More and more often, in the European Parliament, we ask ourselves the question: who stole Germany from Europe? – Sienkiewicz concluded his speech.
Maciej Wąsik With PIS (Group of European Conservatives and Reformists) said that it was Germany that brought migrants to Europe, recalling the words of the Chancellor Angela Merkel from 2015, when she invited Syrian refugees to Germany. As the PiS MEP argued, when there were too many of these people, Berlin said “stop” and started counting on help from its neighbors. -(Germany) came up with a migration pact, with the idea of making their neighbors pay for their mistakes, he said.
Anna Bryłka from Konfederacja (in the European Parliament she is one of the far-right Patriots for Europe) stated that German politicians are “once again enemies of a safe and rich Europe.” “Your policies threaten the future of European nations,” she said.
Home Affairs Commissioner: Nobody wants to stand in long queues
Commissioner responsible for home affairs, Ylva Johansson, recalled that internal border controls in Schengen zone they must remain temporary, proportionate and be introduced as a measure of last resort in the event of a threat to public security.
– Although member states have the right to introduce temporary border controls under strict conditions, it is clear that they risk “undermining” the benefits of free movement. Nobody wants to stand in long lines at the border, especially not those going to work. We all want to stop criminals and terrorists, but we don't want to stop travel, trade and tourism, she said.
Johansson said she spoke to German authorities, who assured her that they would try to prevent difficulties at the borders. She said that for those who associate the reintroduction of border controls with irregular migration, she can say that this year the number of people illegally crossing the EU's external borders has dropped by 40%. compared to the previous year.
She added that border controls can be prevented by the already adopted migration pact, which will be in force from mid-2026. She emphasized that its proper implementation by member states is crucial.
Main photo source: DPA