A ‘Coalition of the Willing’ meeting in Paris on Thursday, September 4th was unusual for the frosty relations on show between two European Union member states. French President Emmanuel Macron personally greeted all key European leaders—except for Donald Tusk of Poland. Instead, the Polish PM was received by a lower-level French official.
Politicians from Poland’s Law and Justice (PiS) party were quick to react, calling the move a clear diplomatic insult. Paweł Jabłoński said it “looks bad” for the Polish PM to be treated this way, while Michał Wójcik called it “a slap in the face to all Poles.” Joachim Brudziński added sarcastically that “#krulEU no longer impresses.”
Tusk later stated that he spoke privately with Macron about the Mercosur trade agreement and said both countries would work together to ensure strong defense mechanisms if the deal moves forward.
Earlier, President Donald Trump invited his Polish counterpart Karol Nawrocki to visit the U.S. instead of Tusk—another sign of the Polish PM’s recent loss of influence
