Snowden, spies and US – European relations

EU countries, including Poland, are looking for answers to allegations published by the German 'Der Spiegel' weekly reporting cases of US spying on their European allies though its PRISM surveillance system.

As Slawek Szefs reports, Prime Minister Donald Tusk voiced indignation with the American spying practices and considered them absolutely unacceptable.

"Should allegations that the US government or its services have engaged in eavesdropping activity against EU citizens or institutions find confirmation, this would be a truly scandalous practice. […] This marks a serious problem in bilateral relations and a serious problem involving US reputation," he said on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, despite the uncomfortable atmosphere on the line with Washington, Polish authorities have decided not to accept an asylum request from Edward Snowden, the CIA whistleblower.