Due to the situation on the border between Poland and Belarus, the energy dossier is once again essential in the relations between the EU and its Neighborhood
Teresa Coratella analyzes the impact of the crisis between Poland and Belarus on the energy front
The message to the EU is: do you want to hit me? I am going to stop protecting your borders. But this is false, Lukashenka never protected the borders.
Pavel Slunkin explains the new political strategy that the Belarusian President Aljaksandr Lukashenka implements towards the EU
The rhetoric of the Polish government has led it into a vicious circle from which it is increasingly difficult to escape
For him, this is about vengeance and is a matter of regime survival – meaning that he is ready to escalate further, and to seek Russia’s backing in the process
The Guardian quotes from ECFR’s latest commentary on the Polish-Belarus border crisis,
Lukashenko’s rhetoric, the visa policy and the sudden influx of migrants this summer all point to the involvement of the Belarusian state and travel agencies,
Gustav Gressel comments on how the Belarussian border crisis is part of Lukashenko’s effort to retaliate against the EU for imposing sanctions
If Poland is to cooperate with the EU on this, these two issues have to be disassociated as much as possible
The EU should have to convince Poland that the migration crisis in Belarus won’t be linked to the rule-of-law fight, thinks Joanna Hosa
These countries aren’t comfortable with the methods that Poland is using to repel the migrants, but criticism remains muted, because the methods are effective
That unity is probably, in part, a reflection that the Polish tactics are working, believes Joanna Hosa
This is blackmail, and making concessions to a blackmailer like this won’t improve the situation in the long run
As with any form of blackmail, it would be pointless and dangerous to make concessions – It would send a signal to other authoritarian rulers that such tactics work
The Austrian newspaper quotes from Joanna Hosa’s, Gustav Gressel’s and Pavel Slunkin’s latest commentary on the Polish-Belarussian border crisis
