Polish PM faces tough talks on refugees and CO2 reduction
PR dla Zagranicy
Nick Hodge
29.11.2015 14:21
Prime Minister of Poland Beata Szydło is making her first official foreign visits on Sunday, with EU-Turkish talks in Brussels on refugees, followed by a climate summit in Paris.
Prime Minister Beata Szydło departs for Brussels. Photo: PAP/Radek Pietruszka
The Brussels talks are aimed at offering Turkey closer ties with the EU in return for help in stemming the flow of refugees to EU states from the country.
The EU hopes that Turkey will spend about EUR billion of EU money making conditions for the approximately 2.3 million Syrian refugees in Turkey better, so that they do not continue to leave for Greek islands, and then travel on to other EU countries.
Poland's position is described by analysts as awkward as the new cinservative Law and Justice government has indicated that it is against taking in any refugees, regardless of whether they are already in the EU (almost 1 million arrived this year).
The last Polish government, led by centrist party Civic Platform, had pledged to take in at least 7,000 refugees.
The new government was criticised by President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz for showing a lack of solidarity, prompting angry responses from Warsaw.
Climate talks
In the evening, Szydło will fly to Paris, where the leaders of over 140 countries are taking part in talks aimed at reducing emissions that are leading to global warming.
Poland is currently obliged to cut CO2 emissions by 2030 within the framework of an EU programme.
However, the ruling party and President Andrzej Duda (himself formerly of the party), have indicated that Poland is against such measures.
Although Poland's coal industry is struggling at present, partly owing to cheap coal prices elsewhere, 90 percent of the country's power is generated by coal. (nh/rk)