Barroso warns Poland and UK on risks of blocking EU Treaty[fr][de] 

In a series of statements on 19 June, the Commission President made it clear that Poland could find itself isolated when the bloc reviews its finances in 2008 if it goes through with threats to veto a slimmed-down version of the EU Constitution that was rejected by French and Dutch voters in 2005. 

Poland is the biggest recipient of EU funds and stands to gain €67 billion over the next seven years in transfers from richer Western countries, such as Germany – the largest net contributor to the EU budget. 

Although the money has already been committed, Barroso suggested that Poland would face a backlash if it obstructs efforts by current EU President German Chancellor Angela Merkel to revive the Treaty at the European Summit in Brussels on 21-22 June. 

Stressing that it is "in the interest" of newcomers such as Poland to "show that their membership hasn't made EU life more difficult", he warned: "The mechanism of solidarity will naturally be weakened because there will be the shadow of failure, the shadow of mistrust." 

Poland, the largest Eastern European country in the 27 member EU has said it will fight to the end to obtain a change to the voting system that was agreed in the earlier Constitution. It is adamant that the planned double majority system, which would be more representative of countries' population size and would thus favour Germany, should be replaced by a system where votes are allocated based on the square root of a state’s population (EurActiv 18/06/07). 

So far, only the Czechs had lent Poland some support in this demand but Poland found itself isolated when Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek said, on 19 June, that his country would not "die in a ditch" to back the Polish government. 

Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski of Poland nevertheless stressed that his country was only seeking equal treatment and that it would defend its position "with full ruthlessness". 

Barroso also appealed to Britain for more flexibility after UK Prime Minister Tony Blair toughened his stance in negotiations, saying that he would refuse to cross four key "red lines" on foreign policy, tax and social security, criminal justice and a Charter of Fundamental Rights enshrining the right to strike (EurActiv 19/06/07). 

"The opt-out cannot be the rule, it must not be the rule. If we accept opt-outs and opt-ins as the rule, in the end we would no longer have a Union," said Barroso. 

He called out to London and Warsaw: "Try to be constructive; all member states defend their positions, but don't come with this 'red line' and veto," he said. "These are not the proper words for a Union that wants to deliver." 

In these conditions, the planned two-day long summit could prove longer than expected. "We should not leave Brussels before we get a deal," Barroso said.