Papers reflect on Weimar summit

Smiles disguise underlying divisions

Polish newspapers strike an upbeat note after the summit of Polish, German and French leaders in Wroclaw, arguing that the meeting has confirmed Poland's enhanced standing in the world after its decision to side with the US over Iraq.

German and French papers are more cautious, stressing the importance of dialogue and compromise if an expanded European Union is to work.

The need to patch up divisions over Iraq, Poland's Trybuna says, has revitalized the once lacklustre summits of the so-called Weimar Triangle countries and helped give Poland equal status with Paris and Berlin.

Equal status

"Poland no longer appears in the role of a supplicant, humbly admitted to the table," it says.

With its excellent ratings across the ocean, Poland can play a positive role in reconciling sides that are at odds

Trybuna

"Now its position must not only be taken into account, it can also be made good use of."

The paper even suggests that Poland can use its popularity in Washington to act as a mediator between the US and the European war-sceptics.

"With its excellent ratings across the ocean, Poland can play a positive role in reconciling sides that are at odds and in overcoming divisions. Will Wroclaw be this new beginning?"

Rzeczpospolita also believes that the meeting marks a "fundamental change" from the past.

"For the last two years the Weimar Triangle did not exist even in its former, courtesy-meeting form and the president of France and chancellor of Germany most often appeared in the skies above Poland on the way to Moscow and back," it says.

Trying to reconcile 'old' and 'new' Europe

But now, it adds, Warsaw will no longer be told about deals between Paris and Berlin as an afterthought but "will be informed about intentions and consulted".

France's Liberation is less effusive but thinks the summit has at least proved that lines of communication are open, despite the rift over Iraq.

"'Old' and 'new' Europe, divided over the Iraq crisis, are determined to keep talking despite everything, even if their disagreements are still there," it says.

The French regional newspaper L'Alsace is more scathing.

"Seventy years ago, the Weimar Republic, by collapsing in the face of Nazism, symbolized the weakness of German democracy. Today, the 'Weimar Triangle', founded in 1991 between Germany, France and Poland, symbolizes the weakness of Europe," it sneers.

Paris and Berlin have had to learn that they cannot simply show Europe the direction. And Warsaw will experience that nothing works in the EU without a consensus with Germany and France

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

The paper blames this firmly on what it sees as Warsaw's subservience to Washington.

"As far as Poland is concerned, one of the corners of the triangle is on the other side of the Atlantic."

But it acknowledges that Warsaw's behaviour "has a certain logic".

"Since there is no coherent defence policy within Europe, Poland is going to look for 'guarantees' on the other side of the Atlantic."

Lessons

Germany's Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung thinks the summit and the events preceding it hold lessons for all participants.

"Paris and Berlin have had to learn that they cannot simply show Europe the direction. And Warsaw will experience that nothing works in the EU without a consensus with Germany and France," it says.

Die Tageszeitung takes a similar line, urging France and Germany to stop "sulking" and Poland "to allay fears that it is going to act like an annexe of the US within the EU".

The Berliner Zeitung believes that as on "more than one occasion" in the past Poland has "fallen between two stools".

"Polish politicians," it adds tartly, "don't always react to this with diplomatic skill but will have to acquire it if they want to avoid the possibility that the current transatlantic conflict will be fought at their expense."

BBC Monitoring, based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.