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” It is a cold. “ And summarizes-the Elysée palace the diplomatic crisis between Paris and Warsaw. François Hollande has postponed, Friday 7 October, a visit to Poland scheduled for Thursday, October 13. The minister of defence, Jean-Yves Le Drian, has cancelled a trip planned for the Monday, October 10. This crisis comes after the decision of 4 October in Warsaw to break the negotiations on the order of 50 helicopters Caracal to Airbus, started in 2015, with the previous Polish government.
The minister of foreign affairs, Jean-Marc Ayrault, is scheduled to visit Warsaw at the request of Mr. Holland. But without a specific date. the ” This is a bad news that underlines the contradictions policy of Poland, said a diplomatic source. This contract was involved in the constitution of a Europe of defence, that the Poles themselves want, since they speak of a european army. “
” This will have consequences, says one at the Elysee. in One cannot ask for european solidarity and make decisions on a purely political or ideological. Poland may be isolated when the relations of the european Union and Russia will be less strained. “
Paris intends to review its agreements on defence cooperation with Poland.
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In a speech on Europe, Thursday, October 6, François Hollande put the points on the i :
” there are european countries who think that the United States will always be there to protect them, even to the point of buying weapons only the United States and not the Europeans. There are countries who think that there will always be a cover that will shelter them from all influences. “
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The prime minister, Manuel Valls, announced, on Friday, of his ” confusion “ on the consequences of the choice of Polish ” the concept of european defence “.
Threat of mass layoffs
even Before his arrival to power, the party ultraconservateur Law and justice (PiS) had strongly criticized the choice of Airbus by the previous centre-right government. Unlike its two competitors in the tender – the american Sikorsky Aircraft and the Italian Leonardo Helicopters –, the european industry did not, in Poland, plant production helicopters. The competitors had raised the threat of mass layoffs, in their own units, if the contract with Airbus was signed. Unions, allies of the weight of the conservatives during the election campaign, were mounted in the niche. The PiS had attempted to sue the tendering procedure.
also Read : Poland challenges a contract with Airbus Helicopters
After the victory of the PiS in the elections of 2015, Warsaw continued to discuss the contract with Airbus and the French government, in particular on the compensation to be given in the field of technology transfer (” offset “). Airbus had promised to install in Poland, a timeline of the Caracal, with, to the key, several hundred direct jobs.
at the Beginning of September, the president of Airbus, Poland, Sebastian Magadzio, had made his ” optimism “ as a result of these negotiations.
” Airbus has done important work to meet the demands of the Polish government. The negotiations were advanced at the industrial level and technical “, provides a diplomatic source in French.
” Hostage “campaign
” It was not enough to Warsaw, which has blown hot and cold on this issue for a year. Until the release on Tuesday from the ministry of economy :
” The difference of points of view in the negotiations prevents to reach a compromise, as a result, the continuation of these negotiations is unnecessary. “
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in a tone less diplomatic, the spokesperson of the ministry of defence, Katarzyna Jakubowska, said, Friday, that contract ” has been broken by the fault of the French industrial “.” Rather, it is the Poland that should demand compensations related to the refusal to sign the agreement offset by the French “, has she been outbid.
” It is a pity that this strategic issue has become hostage to the election campaign, regrets Tomasz Siemoniak, minister of defence under the previous government of centre-right. It is a pity that relations franco-Polish defence were booming in recent years. “
This ” cold “ comes in multiple pronouncements of the Warsaw concern of many european capitals. The Polish government is faced with severe international criticism, provoked by the proposal of the law – ultimately dismissed – total prohibition of abortion. Poland is also the subject of a safeguard of the rule of law by the european Commission, after the fears raised by the takeover of the justice and public media by the authority. Of the critics who began in much the determination of the PiS and its leader, Jaroslaw Kaczynski.
dates
April 21, 2015
The Polish president, Bronislaw Komorowski – beaten on may 25,–, proclamation
the order of 50 helicopters Caracal to Airbus. The amount is estimated to be € 3.1 billion.
October 25, 2015
Victory in the general elections of the party ultraconservateur Law and justice, which
denounces the conditions of the contract with Airbus.
November 16, 2015
the defense minister, Antoni Macierewicz, announces an audit on the tender from the helicopters.
October 4, 2016
The Polish government announced the rupture of the negotiations with Airbus.
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