Miller’s plans to fly with Schroeder cause anger

19 April 2004

WARSAW – Opposition politicians in Poland were critical of Polish Prime Minister Leszek Miller’s plans to fly aboard German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder’s airplane to Ireland for European Union enlargement ceremonies on 1 May.

“Will it be a Luftwaffe airplane?” inquired opposition MP Jan Maria Rokita on a weekend political chat programme hosted by Poland’s private Radio Zet.

“Can’t he fly aboard a Polish plane?” asked Polish Peasant Party MP Eugeniusz Klopotek.

But Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski on Monday described the plan for Miller, the Czech Premier Vladimir Spidla and Germany’s Schroeder to share a flight to Dublin as symbolic.

“Rejecting the grotesque nature of this discussion, in a world of symbols it is difficult to find a more desirable gesture for a united Europe than the common journey of the premiers of the Czech Republic and Poland with the German chancellor to Dublin,” Kwasniewski said, quoted by Poland’s PAP news agency.

A representative from the Polish presidential chancellery explained that in order to keep his tight schedule on 1 May, Miller would fly with Schroeder from EU enlargement ceremonies in the Czech Republic to Dublin, for further official celebrations.

Leading Poland into the European Union will be among Miller’s last activities as prime minister. With his government and Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) party in disarray over a series of high profile scandals, Miller will leave office on 2 May.