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Saturday, February 12, 2011

Weimar Square



Initiative of Polish President Bronisław Komorowski — quite unexpected for most of the experts — to turn the Weimar Triangle into Weimar Square, including Russia may become a Weimar elevator for Poland. In other words, it may bring this ambitious country right to the top of European politics. This is utmost topical, given the upcoming half-year-long Polish chairmanship in the European Union.

What Weimar triangle is?
Weimar triangle (“Weimarer Dreieck” in German or “Triangle de Weimar” in French) was created on the 28th of August, 1991 at the meeting of Polish, French and German Foreign Ministers (Krzysztof Skubiszewski, Roland Dumas and Hans-Dietrich Genscher). This was a gesture of support towards the establishment of new Polish statehood, made by the European “heavyweights”. Full name of the “triangle” was Committee on Support of the French-German-Polish cooperation. Besides the cooperation of three countries itself, main goal of this three-lateral relationship format was to help Poland — which didn’t have its own experience in European politics at that moment — to join the European Union and NATO. Summits of heads of states took place multiple times: in Poznan in 1998, in Nancy in 1999, in Hambach in 2001, in Wrocław in 2003 and again in Nancy in 2005. Weimar summit scheduled for 2006 was postponed due to refusal of Lech Kaczynski (then Polish President) to take part — he was offended by the publication in German Die Tageszeitung newspaper. In July of 2006 Well-known German columnist Peter Köhler made fun of Kaczynski brothers because of their backwoods patriotism and indisposition towards Germany, having nicknamed them “potato-brothers”. In order to understand the revolution nature of Bronisław Komorowski’s offer, one should deeply feel the atmosphere of Weimar Triangle, which Lech Kaczynski has turned into the Bermuda one. All the French and German intentions to help Poland earning its place in modern Europe have hopelessly sunk in it. Russians have known Kaczynski as a fierce Russophobe but comparing to his disgust towards Germany, this attitude to Russia may have been dubbed a slight misunderstanding. Here’s the excerpt from the above-mentioned article that was published under the headline “Poland’s new potato”:
It is well known that Kaczynski boasted for decades never to have extended even a fingernail (let alone hand) towards a German politician. He was proud for not seeing any German attraction except for the spittoon in the men's toilet at Frankfurt airport. Having born in 1940, he had hated each and every German even before coming into this world. In the sick imagination of Lech Kaczynski every German since Medieval times dreamed of rushing at their Easter neighbor. Polish head of State may gnaw through the Russo-German gas pipeline out of utter hatred — even despite the fact that the latter is laid at the bottom of Baltic Sea. Kaczynski’s idol is a semi-fascist Piłsudski, who invented peculiar Polish kind of democracy — the government-controlled one — as far back as in 1926”.
I have to confirm all the accusations, addressing the former Polish President — he has actually made such statements. Even such abrupt quote from Peter Köhler contains the most decorous passages from the scandalous article. Now the plot thickens, although becoming yet more improper.
It’s quite clear that given such “lofty” level of relations, Weimar triangle had no chances of being isosceles. Defectiveness of both Western and Eastern policies of Kaczynski prevented Poland from gaining the place it deserves — as the sixth largest country in Europe. That’s why appearance of Bronisław Komorowski — known for his moderateness and sober mind — at the Belweder Palace was perceived with a sigh of relief by Europeans. Due to the very same reason, Triangle Summit that took place on the 7th of February, this year in Warsaw inspired hopes for renovation and new inventions in the relations of Old and New Europe. There were plenty of skeptics, too. They thought that Komorowski isn’t bright enough — moreover, he’s routinely boring — and would never set the Thames on fire. Journalists have loitered over every ceremonial mistake, made by the Polish part — Sarkozy who happened to be short of umbrella and soaked to his skin and the fact that during the meeting with his colleagues Polish President took a seat, having forgotten to offer seats to his guests. Nothing pointed to a breakthrough. And suddenly an unexpected — and even shocking for some — offer was made.
Move to a Premier League
There was a certain feature of the Polish foreign policy in the 20th century — distinct dissonance between the claims of this ambitious country for the key roles of European politics (sometimes the international one) and the reputation of European backwaters. Unfortunately, the latter was well-deserved due to the Polish manner to wear an adult man’s suit, while behaving like a pimpled teenager. We may refer to excessive clericalization of domestic policy (unacceptable for the secular Europe), self-proclaimed leadership over the Eastern Europe — including the post-Soviet territories — as the examples. All of that caused partial isolation of Poland, which was left aside the contemporary pragmatic trends, having vigorously resisted the thaw in Berlin-Moscow and Paris-Moscow relations. During the Bush Jr. presidency Poland has turned into a “Trojan donkey” of Americans in Europe — which the German press media (having labeled Poland with this degrading nickname) was maliciously mocking at. Policy towards Russia has been the main “watershed” between Poles, Germans and French. Old Europe, professing the pragmatic approach in politics, has been successfully trading with our country. Europeans believe that momentary commercial profit aside, close cooperation with Russia will inevitably cause its modernization: at first technological, and then — political one. Kaczynski brothers, who imagined themselves to be the Prometheus of European democratic values have promoted the democratic model they’ve considered to be truly Western to the East with a manic passion. Having, however, failed to exemplify liberal democracy themselves, they’ve become the laughingstock of entire Europe. Prometheus-like foreign policy of Poland — that resulted in the joint Polish-Sweden “Eastern Partnership” project — had in fact turned into a certain kind of phrenetic proselytism. 
Initiative of the Polish President is the very bid for the Premier League of European politics that Poland has been dreaming of for so long. Presence of Russia in the Weimar Triangle perfectly conforms to the interests of all the four parts. It may fill the Weimar sails — diminishing in the absence of shared ideology — with the fresh breeze. The Triangle has fulfilled the job it was created for in the first place — to introduce Poland to the EU and NATO. So it was to slowly die like an old and terminally ill aunt, who hasn’t been unplugged from the artificial lung out of utter philanthropy and mercy.  
Russo-French-German summit at Deauville — that continued the tradition of meetings between Vladimir Putin, Jacque Chirac and Gerhard Schröder — indicated the demand for and productiveness of the three-lateral partnership. Unlike the fading Weimar Triangle, Moscow-Paris-Berlin axis is filled with positive content and prospects of this communication format of the three European leaders cause no apprehends at all. Therefore, Komorowski’s initiative was right about time. We should rather review it as joining of Poland to the Russia-France-Germany axis, rather than joining of Russia to the Weimar goner — but this is a matter of shape, not the essence. Poland is rather significant for Russia from both geopolitical (transit to Europe) and political (the 6th largest EU country, having quite special relationship with the USA at that) standpoints. Besides that, cooperation with Poland on certain essentially important matters — like the rights of Russian minorities in the Baltic States, participation of Russian companies in the privatization of Polish fuel and energy companies, new architecture of European security, put forth by Dmitry Medvedev — also answers the Russian interests. Rare opportunity to create new political format — beneficial for each of its participants — shouldn’t be missed. Radosław Sikorski — Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs — reported that he is to counsel with Moscow on the matter of its joining to Triangle quite soon. We may just hope that our Ministry of Foreign Affairs would greet the Polish initiative.
P.S. The circumstances were such that few days prior to the announcement of Bronisław Komorowski, I’ve discussed an opportunity of Russian participation in Weimar Triangle with my Polish colleagues. Well-known Polish political commentator Piotr Maciążek majoring at the CIS issues was utmost interested in my suggestion to make a square out of the triangle. Yet he was quite skeptical about realizability of this project. I don’t believe in mystic but due to a certain miracle (or is it not?) our dispute was heard and solved by Polish President himself — and solved in my favor. So the people’s diplomacy is not a myth! 

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