On the EU side, one diplomat recently told me they believed the EU couldn't survive another exit. So there are huge political calculations to weigh up here, as well as legal ones. President von der Leyen is under mounting pressure to take action. It's a major test of her presidency. You could see on Tuesday she wished to impress upon MEPs she was ready, if needed, to take a tough line. Yet last Friday, outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel appeared to urge compromise over confrontation.
There is an argument to say that, if the EU opted for strong action, it could just serve to escalate the crisis and push Poland further away. But, if it decides on a more conciliatory course, does the bloc look weak and undermine its entire legal basis? Mr Morawiecki said the Polish court ruling on 7 October had been misunderstood and only questioned one area of EU treaties.
He said EU treaties must not threaten a member state's constitution, which outline laws and principles that specify how a country should be governed. The Polish court ruling and the European Commission's response to it has divided opinion among the political leaders of EU member states.
Luxembourg's Foreign Minister, Jean Asselborn, said the clash threatened the existence of the EU, while Germany's Minister for European affairs, Michael Roth, said the union must not compromise on its founding values. But Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said linking issues about the rule of law to funding risked inflicting "unimaginable harm to European Union unity".
But Mr Morawiecki has repeatedly insisted the country has no plans to leave the union. On the margins of that get-together, he met with Marine Le Pen, leader of the French far-right National Rally and a presidential hopeful. The picture of the two of them shaking hands went viral in Poland and France, signalling as it did the possibility that a far-right grouping of national parties could be taking shape in the bloc.
Finally, on October 24, the Financial Times published an interview with Morawiecki, during which he used the language of war. I was in Strasbourg to attend the plenary session at which he spoke and I talked with MEPs about the seriousness of the situation. It does not make sense. When you join a club and play by the rules of that club, you enjoy the privileges of being a member. For Czarnecki, it was an honest debate. It will be an important and difficult debate, but we need to talk about it.
What kind of Europe do we want — a Europe of nations or a political Europe? Over the summer, the Polish government lost several MPs in the Polish parliament Sejm and an important ally in the coalition, Jaroslaw Gowin. Learn more and compare subscriptions content expands above.
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