Good morning from Brussels. As the traditional Franco-German axis faces instability at home, Poland seems willing to exploit the momentum and step up its role in EU decision-making regarding future balances. The timing offers fertile ground for Warsaw, as Poland is taking over the rotating EU presidency in January with the handling of Ukraine taking centre stage, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk is already showing his intentions: “I really want Poland to be the country that will not only be present but will set the tone for these decisions that are to bring us security and secure Polish interests,” Tusk said. Meanwhile, Paris and Berlin show signals of recognising Poland’s rising influence. Emmanuel Macron is visiting Warsaw on Thursday to debrief Tusk about his talks with Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Paris last weekend. Similarly, Euractiv’s Nick Alipour reported that German election frontrunner Friedrich Merz went on a “charm offensive” in Eastern Europe, visiting Warsaw on Tuesday after a meeting with Zelenskyy the day before in Kyiv. Earlier this week, Mario Draghi noted that the Franco-German leadership was weakened but saw “no other leadership” capable of guiding Europe into a common future. However, he called for patience until the German elections. Draghi’s comments likely targeted Italy’s Giorgia Meloni, who heavily advertises her close ties with Trump’s administration and eyes an increased EU role. However, Poles also believe that Trump will speak easier to Warsaw than to Berlin, given the problematic relations during Angela Merkel's chancellorship and the latter’s handling of the Ukraine case. |