Poland’s border problems escalate – POLITICO

ROAD TO POLAND’S ELECTION       

POLAND’S BORDER FIGHT WITH GERMANY ESCALATES: Germany is mulling whether to impose controls on its border with Poland to stop a surge in irregular migrants. Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he wanted to coordinate next steps with the Polish authorities.

That’s gone down well: But Poland’s right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) government is reacting furiously to Berlin’s proposal — and in particular to Scholz’s suggestion the potential controls have something to do with Warsaw’s visa corruption scandal, where Polish consulates allegedly handed out visas to foreigners, granting access to the EU in exchange for bribes.

Row with Rau: Poland’s Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau shot back at Scholz in a post on X. The chancellor’s remarks, he said, “indicate an attempt to interfere in the internal affairs of the Polish state and the ongoing electoral campaign in Poland.”

Karma: Rau asked that Scholz “respect Poland’s sovereignty and refrain from statements that damage our mutual relations” — quite rich coming from a government that has appealed to anti-German stereotypes during the campaign, riling Polish voters up against their neighbors over reparations for Nazi Germany’s crimes, and blaming Brussels for Poland’s migration problems.

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Why it matters: Poland’s anti-EU, populist PiS is hoping its visa corruption scandal will dissipate from voters’ minds before the country holds its general election on October 15 — and any reminder of the saga is electoral poison. But after months of an ugly election campaign spent slamming and insulting its international partners and neighbors, from Kyiv to Brussels and Berlin, there’s little appetite in any of those capitals to make concessions to Warsaw. Read more from my colleague Hans von der Burchard.

What’s next: Another reminder of the visa scandal is due next week, as the Commission has asked Poland to answer a list of questions on the extent of the bribes scheme by October 3 — as Playbook revealed last week.

Quick, look over there! Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki on Monday announced new vehicle searches at Poland’s border with Slovakia “where there is suspicion that there are illegal immigrants.” Morawiecki said at a campaign event: “We don’t want anyone alleging that our border is porous.” DW has a write-up.

NOW READ: PiS has launched a vitriolic campaign against acclaimed director Agnieszka Holland for making a harrowing film that centers on how Poland handles — and maltreats — migrants trying to cross its border with Belarus, Wojciech Kość reports. Holland’s film, “The Green Border,” undermines the government’s patriotic view that Poland is always in the right, leading to an onslaught of invective toward her from PiS leaders. Read more here.

OVER AT THE EIB       

MICHEL DENIES ATTEMPT TO PARACHUTE INTO EIB JOB: European Council President Charles Michel’s hunt for a job after his mandate continues — and so do the rumors in Brussels about where he’s headed next. A particularly pernicious one has it that he has attempted to make a surprise bid for the top job at the European Investment Bank.

Background: The EIB is the world’s largest multilateral financial institution and the role is rising in importance as the bank is expected to play a key role in financing Ukraine’s reconstruction.

Big names: Current EIB President Werner Hoyer is stepping down at year’s end after two six-year terms. Spain’s Finance Minister Nadia Calviño is the front-runner to replace him, having gained apparent support from France, and Germany’s Scholz, as Playbook reported last week. But EU competition chief Margrethe Vestager is also in the running.

Sofagate 2: The pernicious — or malicious — rumor among diplomats and officials is that Michel asked French President Emmanuel Macron to delay a decision on the next boss of the EIB, in an attempt to box out the two highly qualified women and parachute himself into the top job.

But a spokesperson for Michel insists such a conversation never happened and that he’s not running. The rumor “is not correct,” Ecaterina Casinge said.

EIB TO FINANCE DEFENSE PROJECTS: In more EIB news, the bank is likely to see its mandate widened to also invest in defense projects, officials and diplomats tell Playbook. France has been a strong advocate for the EIB to bankroll joint EU arms programs, but other countries have now warmed up to the idea as the EU seeks to boost its defense capabilities and production capacity to help Ukraine.

Germany has in the past been cautious about widening the mandate, and people close to the bank’s outgoing president told Playbook there were strong reservations within the bank — arguing that it could lose certain investors such as pension funds, from whom the bank borrows money and who may have rules against investing in defense projects.

A necessity: But Berlin is now warming up to the idea — given the new realities, investing in defense has become a moral and political necessity, the thinking goes.

SPAIN’S TRICKY ROAD TO GOVERNMENT       

SPAIN’S SANCHEZ FACES HEAT OVER CATALAN AMNESTY: Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is in hot water as he moves closer to granting Catalan leaders a general amnesty in an attempt to cling on to power — a risky move that could boil over and has already sparked protests on the streets of Madrid.

Happening today: Alberto Núñez Feijóo, leader of Spain’s Popular Party, will today begin a two-day debate in parliament, as Aitor Hernández-Morales reports, in an attempt to get a majority of MPs to back his bid to become the country’s next prime minister. Barring any major surprises, his bid is all but certain to fail, as a majority of MPs have said they would oppose backing a center-right-led government.

Clock ticking: If that first attempt at forming a government fails, a two-month timer starts ticking during which other party leaders, including Sánchez, will try to form a coalition.

Catalan amnesty fight escalates: But Sánchez will need to secure the votes of some of the seven Catalan pro-independence Junts MPs, as well as the support of another Catalan party, Esquerra Republicana (ERC). Junts and ERC have made clear they will only back Sánchez if parliament passes a law granting a general amnesty to all those involved in organizing the failed 2017 independence referendum.

Done deal: Raquel Sans, the spokesperson for ERC, on Monday insisted that her party considers the amnesty law a done deal, as El País reported. Sans said there has already been an “exchange of documents” on the amnesty between the parties in preparation for an investiture vote for Sánchez.

Stay tuned: If pushed through, the amnesty may not go down well with many Spaniards and could lead to a bigger problem for Sánchez. On Sunday, a rally organized by Feijóo’s center-right PP in opposition to the amnesty for the Catalan leaders brought large numbers of people to the streets of Madrid.

IN OTHER NEWS       

JOUROVÁ AND OUT: European Commission Vice President for Values and Transparency Věra Jourová confirmed she wouldn’t seek a third mandate in Brussels. “Enough is enough,” she told the audience at a POLITICO Live event Monday, adding that she was unsure whether she would return to Czech politics.

CALL FOR FACIAL RECOGNITION BAN: A coalition of 120 NGOs, bolstered by 60 tech and privacy experts, have published an open letter this morning calling on “police, other state authorities and private companies” to halt all use of facial-recognition technology in public spaces and in migration or asylum contexts. The letter — driven by the European Digital Rights advocacy group — argues that the technology is imperfect and prone to abuses and discrimination, my colleague Gian Volpicelli reports.

The context: Facial recognition is poised to be a key battleground during negotiations over the final text of the EU’s Artificial Intelligence Act. Members of the European Parliament, EU governments, and Commission boffins are scheduled to sit down for their third round of talks on the AI Act from October 2-3.

PATH TO LIMIT GLOBAL WARMING IS NARROWING: The path for governments to avoid global warming above 1.5 degrees has narrowed, the International Energy Agency is warning in its new net-zero roadmap report out today. But, thanks to the rapid scale-up of green technology and renewables, hitting the goal is still doable, the experts say.

Green Deal is wilting: Recent climate regulations are triggering an unintended backlash that risks undermining Europe’s very own climate agenda from within, Rasmus Grand Berthelsen, director for the Nordics at Rasmussen Global, writes in an opinion article for POLITICO. “Europe’s green agenda currently stands at a crossroads. Next year’s election is a critical juncture, and the rise of Euroskepticism and discontent over these policies are a warning sign,” he argues.

‘WE KNOW WE AREN’T GOING BACK’: Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians are facing up to a life in exile, as thousands seek to leave after Azerbaijan launched a lightning attack into the ethnic Armenian territory. People are running away in increasing numbers, fearing ethnic cleansing at the hands of the Azerbaijani military, Gabriel Gavin reports.

EU-CHINA TRADE: EU trade chief Valdis Dombrovskis ends his trip to China today. Brussels is increasingly willing to ramp up measures to combat what it views as Beijing’s unfair trading practices — the Commission has already announced an anti-subsidy probe into Chinese electric cars, and may now be looking to probe China’s medical technology sector, as Playbook reported on Monday. Stuart Lau, Camille Gijs and Joshua Posaner report on how the EU is talking tough on trade with China.

**Don’t miss the chance to hear Julia Poliscanova, Senior Director at Transport & Environment talk about e-fuels in an exclusive roundtable discussion at our Sustainable Future Week. Hurry up and apply now!**

AGENDA       

— Informal meeting of culture ministers in Cáceres, Spain; Doorsteps at 8:40 a.m. … Press conference at 11:15 a.m. … signing of the “Declaration of Cáceres” at 1:15 p.m. Agenda. Watch.

— Council President Charles Michel meets the Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi at 9:30 a.m.

— Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is in the Czech Republic; Meets Prime Minister Petr Fiala … Gives a keynote speech in the Green Deal Summit 23 at 9 a.m. … Press statements by both leaders at 10:30 a.m. Watch.

— European Parliament President Roberta Metsola meets the U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine’s Economic Recovery Penny Pritzker.

— Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis is in Beijing; meets China’s Finance Minister Liu Kun … Meets Governor of the People’s Bank of China Pan Gongsheng.

— Environment Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius is in Beijing; Participates in the first EU-China High-Level Dialogue on Circular Economy … Participates in the 9th EU-China Environment Policy Dialogue.

— Press briefing by Commission Vice President Věra Jourová on the reports of major online platforms on their commitments under the Code of Practice on Disinformation at 10:15 a.m. Watch.

— Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas is in Dakar, Senegal; Meets Prime Minister of Senegal Amadou Ba … Meets Interior Minister Antoine Félix Abdoulaye Diome … Meets Minister responsible for Senegalese Abroad Annette Seck.

— Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides receives Minister of Health and Care Services of Norway Ingvild Kjerkol.

— Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson in The Hague, Netherlands; Gives a keynote address at the European Police Chiefs Convention hosted by Europol.

— Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson and Olivér Várhelyi receive Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili.

**Deciphering defense policy decisions daily isn’t for everyone – which is why POLITICO Pro Defense will do it for you. On October 10, we launch a new policy service, providing you with the inside track on the politics behind key defense decisions. Learn more.**

BRUSSELS CORNER       

SHOOTING IN IXELLES: Two people were injured during a shooting in Ixelles on Sunday night, the Brussels prosecutor’s office said on Monday. Local Mayor Christos Doulkeridis has called for a reinforced police presence in Matonge, where the shooting took place.

METROPOLE FACELIFT: The iconic Hotel Métropole, which has hosted world leaders and has been used as a setting for movies, will get a new pool, a green roof and modernized rooms as part of a planned renovation, according to a permit application. Although the permit has not yet been approved, the hotel, which is home to heritage-listed interiors, plans to reopen in 2025.

EUROPEAN WEEK OF SPORT: It’s the European Week of Sport, and various clubs across Brussels are opening their doors to anyone who wants to try out a new sport or just watch. Find out more here.

Race for the cure: Speaking of sport, you can still register for the Brussels Marathon and Half Marathon, which will take place on October 1. A national Race for the Cure, the world’s largest walking and running event in the fight against breast cancer, is taking place at the same time.  

KNITTING EXHIBITION: If you’re into knitting, check out a new exhibition, “Tout en souplesse,” at the Freddy Thielemans Hall. It uses thread to explore relations and communication. There’s also a knitting workshop today and on October 3 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

SPOTTED … at the Soirée Suisse at Les Jeux d’Hiver last night: Swiss Ambassador to the EU Rita Adam; Ambassador of Kosovo Agron Bajrami; Lithuanian Ambassador Arnoldas Pranckevičius; Moldovan Ambassador Daniela Morari; Caroline Read, deputy ambassador at the U.K. Mission to the EU; Martin Johnson of Scotland House Brussels; Carole Ensch, Luxembourg Permanent Representation; Kevin Conmy, Ireland’s ambassador to Belgium; Permanent Representation of Austria’s Elisabeth Smits; Adele Marsullo of the EEAS; Daniel Calleja Crespo, head of legal services at the European Commission; European Commission’s Jan Hendrik Dopheide and Karin Kails.

NEW JOB: Congratulations to Olof Gill, who is taking over as the Commission’s spokesperson for trade and agriculture. Gill — a Swedish and Irish national — used to work for Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis as a speechwriter. He takes over from Miriam García Ferrer, who joined Dombrovskis’ Cabinet, as we reported last week. An amateur of ballad singing and kayaking, Gill also has a passion for visiting small islands in his free time (he grew up on an island of 150 inhabitants), he told POLITICO. H/t Camille Gijs.

CONGRATULATIONS … to POLITICO’s Mathilde Ciocci and InterSystems’ Geoffroy Vitoux, who were married last weekend!

BIRTHDAYS: Former MEP Thijs Berman; Eubelius’ Hans Plancke; European Commission’s Chantal Hughes; Ukraine’s former President Petro Poroshenko; Google’s Karen Massin; Rud Pedersen Public Affairs’ Nicholas Lunt; Academic David Livingstone Smith.

THANKS to Barbara Moens, Hans von der Burchard, Camille Gijs, Gian Volpicelli, Suzanne Lynch, editor Jack Lahart and producer Fiona Lally.

**A message from Google: Targeted online attacks against politicians, campaign teams, and journalists are on the rise. Google’s Advanced Protection Program safeguards high-profile users, while Project Shield defends news, human rights, and election monitoring sites from attacks aimed at bringing them down. Find out more here.**

 

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