Photo: Shutterstock.com
A dispute between Czechia and Poland over the shut-down of a brown coal mine has turned into diplomatic spat. Media in Hungary have reported that Polish prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki decided to cancel his appearance at this week’s Demography Summit in Budapest, where his Czech counterpart Andrej Babiš is scheduled to attend. The Polish PM’s decision is allegedly due to the Czech-initiated law suit to shut down the Polish mine at Turów, which the Czech side alleges is polluting groundwater on its side of the border.
Earlier, the European Court of Justice ordered that the mine be shut down and has more recently imposed a daily fine of half a million euros on Poland for not ceasing operations there. Poland has refused to obey the order, though, arguing that to do so would cause significant disruption of the Polish energy sector as well as severe economic damage, justifying the mine’s continued operation.
In response to the no-show from prime minister Morawiecki, prime minister Babiš told the Czech News Agency: “Our side has long tried to negotiate with the Polish side, which has refused it. One can see the outcome, unfortunately.”
Source: Media monitoring, Euractiv
One of the most disappointing characteristics of our 21st Century is that while we live…
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called on European leaders to increase their defence spending while maintaining close ties…
The Munich Security Conference ended on a cautiously positive note for EU candidate countries Albania…
Greece is poised to become a key player in the EU’s efforts to secure critical…
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski stressed the necessity of European involvement in any peace talks…
Poland’s economy emerged as a regional standout in 2024, recording a GDP growth of 2.9%,…