Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk cancelled his visit to Germany scheduled for later this week as relations between the two countries deteriorated.
Tusk was due to travel to Potsdam to receive the M100 Media Award, given to “personalities who are committed to strengthening democracy, freedom of expression, and freedom of the press, as well as to European understanding”, according to the German organisation M100 Sanssouci Colloquium.
He cancelled his trip at the last minute, citing internal commitments, with Justice Minister Adam Bodnar going instead. However, Member of the European Parliament Grzegorz Braun condemned the choice.
Confederation wants Adam Bodnar to resign. ‘He doesn’t love Poland, he’s deeply incompetent.’
Meanwhile, Chancellor Olaf Scholz would also not attend the ceremony, organisers said.
It is with deep regret that Chancellor Olaf Scholz has had to cancel his participation in the M100 Media Award due to scheduling conflicts. Prime Minister Donald Tusk can also not attend the ceremony in person due to important national commitments.
The iconic M100 Media Award is conceived as the “prize of the European press,” with winners selected by members of the M100 Advisory Board. Previous winners included the Women’s Life Freedom Movement in Iran, the people of Ukraine, Alexey Navalny, and Mario Draghi.
Potsdam Mayor Mike Schubert stated that Tusk was honoured for his “tireless fight against autocracy.”
Following elections in October, a coalition of centrist and leftist parties led by Tusk took power after the previous conservative PiS government. The new government took steps to restore the independence of Poland’s judiciary and changed the management of state media, which international observers warned had become a propaganda tool for the ruling party.
According to sources familiar with the situation, the Nord Stream pipelines are the main reason for the deterioration between Poland and Germany. Warsaw has rejected Berlin’s request to arrest a Ukrainian citizen living in Poland who is suspected of organising the Nord Stream 2 explosion.
Neither side confirmed that the cancellation of the two leaders’ visit to Potsdam was in any way related to the apparent deterioration in relations.
