Poland's controversial Kaczynski brothers

Earlier this year a Polish magazine depicted  German chancellor Angela Merkel as Hitler.

This week another magazine depicted Angela  Merkel nursing the Kaczynski brothers.

When German chancellor Angela Merkel and EU commission president José Barroso faced reporters at a joint press conference early Saturday morning on June 23, 2007, it was obvious that they were quite tired. Another all-night EU summit negotiating session was finally over, but not before Angela Merkel had achieved her goal of getting some movement on the future structure of the European Union.

The German chancellor's success was largely due to her patience and negotiating skills and some last minute help from Britain's Tony Blair and France's Nicolas Sarkozy, who called Warsaw late Friday night to persuade Poland's prime minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski to accept a compromise. The fact that Jaroslaw Kaczynski was in Warsaw and not in Brussels was a wrench in the summit's gears, aggravating EU diplomats and the heads of government assembled in Brussels. The other EU members sent a delegation to Brussels authorized to make a decision on behalf of their respective governments. However, Poland was represented by Jaroslaw Kaczynski's twin brother Lech, who also happens to be the president of Poland – the head of state but not the head of government.

In an interview with Germany's national radio station "Deutschlandfunk", Luxembourg's prime minister Jean-Claude Juncker voiced his disapproval of the Polish tactic of having "not having sent someone to the negotiating table who could give a 'thumbs up' (or down)" during the summit: "At times I felt that it was an unreasonable demand on the skillful chancellor." Austrian chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer added: "There is little sympathy in Europe for Poland's behaviour. What does one think of a president who negotiates and then has to call his brother at home, who then says no?" Gusenbauer pointed out the advantages that Poland claims through its EU membership while making demands at the same time.

Poland was not pleased when Angela Merkel released a statement on Friday evening announcing her intention to have the conference on the proposed "basic treaty" proceed without Polish representation. When asked whether this announcement was a threat, Jean-Claude Juncker replied: "If 26 countries are moving in one direction and one country is unable to give the order to march in that direction, then one has to tell [that country] that one is going to proceed without them. That is more a deduction than a threat."

In Germany the Kaczynski brothers are generally viewed as being nationalists first and Europeans second. One issue that concerned them was the smaller voting representation that Poland will have under the new proposal for the EU decision-making process. An earlier proposal had Poland with nearly as many votes as Germany, but with the realignment of voting representation strictly according to national population, Poland's influence will decrease when compared to Germany. The Kaczynskis have said often that Poland is not respected enough within the European Union, at least in their opinion. Some wondered whether they just wanted to prevent Angela Merkel from being successful during her six month term as president of the EU's council of ministers.

In the 60 years following World War II relations between the Federal Republic of Germany and Poland have been challenging. Since the Kaczynski brothers have been in office, the relationship has taken a noticeable turn for the worse. The strain is reflected in the treatment afforded Angela Merkel in the Polish press. Earlier this year she was depicted as a female Adolf Hitler. After the EU summit a Polish magazine known for its satire pictured chancellor Merkel as Europe's "stepmother" with the Kaczynskis nursing at her breasts. Representatives of major German political parties called the photo montage an insult to Mrs. Merkel.

Angela Merkel received a standing ovation today from EU diplomats and officials when she presented a summary of her six-month presidency to representatives of the European parliament in Brussels. As he had done six days earlier, EU commission president José Barroso complimented Merkel in German. "Please allow me to express my recognition of chancellor Merkel's performance," Barroso said. "A difficult task ended in success for Europe."

In her summary report today, Angela Merkel voiced her concern over the potential for a "two-speed Europe". Despite his admiration for Mrs. Merkel's patience and negotiating skills, Luxembourg's Jean-Claude Juncker sees a "two-speed Europe" as a viable option for avoiding future dead ends. "A two-speed Europe is not a solution to be sought and will not do justice to what the continent [Europe] could do if all would march forward together. But a two-speed Europe is the logical way out of those dead ends where we will wind up because of countries who love themselves at the expense of others."

A Europe of 27 – or more – members all moving in the same direction seems highly unlikely in view of the wrangling that has taken place within the EU in the last 50 years. A "two-speed Europe" scenario is the more likely one, a vision of a "Democratic Dictatorship" that would allow ten nations to form an alliance and fulfill Bible prophecy.

• Paul Kieffer, June 28, 2007