EU future
U.K.'s Prime Minister David Cameron wants to renegotiate Britain's EU membership and now has found support from Poland's new president who said he was "eye-to-eye" with Cameron on the "fundamental issues" about Europe's future.
Andrzej Duda told The Daily Telegraph, after a meeting with Cameron, that it was "possible" for Britain and Poland to reach agreement on the question of benefit rights for EU migrants in the UK.
But, Duda urged Cameron to acknowledge the contribution made by Polish workers to British prosperity, stressing that they paid more in taxes than they received in benefits.
Downing Street hopes to enlist Duda, who took office last month, as an ally for EU reform. Duda's party, PiS (Law and Justice), sits with the Tories (Conservatives) in the European Parliament.
During his first official visit to London, Duda said he shared Britain's view on matters of sovereignty.
"If you ask the Polish people, I believe that a vast majority of them would say they are pleased with EU membership, but also a majority consider very highly the sovereignty and independence of Poland - they are very attached to Polish tradition. So the issue of sovereignty is a very basic one for us."
However, Mr Duda remains at odds with Mr Cameron over the rights of EU citizens to claim benefits in Britain. About 690,000 Poles live in Britain, making them the largest single group of EU nationals in this country. Cameron wants to ensure that EU arrivals work for a minimum of four years before being entitled to in-work benefits such as tax credits.
Since the onset of the Muslim migration crisis, Poland and most of its neighbors have opposed the European Commission's plan for countries in the Schengen area to accept quotas of refugees. "It should be up to the sovereign decision of a member state," Duda said.
He pointed to the scheme's central flaw, namely that migrants would not be free to choose their country of settlement. "The will of the refugees themselves seems not to be taken into account," said Duda. "Can you do things to those people which are contrary to their own will? We hear a lot about human dignity - what is the relation between this and human dignity?"
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| President Duda |
But, Duda urged Cameron to acknowledge the contribution made by Polish workers to British prosperity, stressing that they paid more in taxes than they received in benefits.
Downing Street hopes to enlist Duda, who took office last month, as an ally for EU reform. Duda's party, PiS (Law and Justice), sits with the Tories (Conservatives) in the European Parliament.
During his first official visit to London, Duda said he shared Britain's view on matters of sovereignty.
"If you ask the Polish people, I believe that a vast majority of them would say they are pleased with EU membership, but also a majority consider very highly the sovereignty and independence of Poland - they are very attached to Polish tradition. So the issue of sovereignty is a very basic one for us."
However, Mr Duda remains at odds with Mr Cameron over the rights of EU citizens to claim benefits in Britain. About 690,000 Poles live in Britain, making them the largest single group of EU nationals in this country. Cameron wants to ensure that EU arrivals work for a minimum of four years before being entitled to in-work benefits such as tax credits.
Since the onset of the Muslim migration crisis, Poland and most of its neighbors have opposed the European Commission's plan for countries in the Schengen area to accept quotas of refugees. "It should be up to the sovereign decision of a member state," Duda said.
He pointed to the scheme's central flaw, namely that migrants would not be free to choose their country of settlement. "The will of the refugees themselves seems not to be taken into account," said Duda. "Can you do things to those people which are contrary to their own will? We hear a lot about human dignity - what is the relation between this and human dignity?"
posted by Denny @ 12:03 AM
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