qr. 3. 2019 no. 10 ISSN 2543-9839 THE WARSAW INSTITUTE REVIEW no. 10. 2019 www.warsawinstitute.review THE WARSAW INSTITUTE REVIEW IN NUMBERS issues 10 printed copies 60 recipient 15000 countries downloads recipient think 50000 tanks and expert circles 500 121 200 600 analitical pieces recipient already featured international recipient experts diplomats and decision makers 100000 free printed copies sent unique quaterly 13000 webpage users yearly Let’s keep in touch www.warsawinstitute.review @TheWarsawInstituteReview @WarsawReview @warsawinstitutereview Editorial Dear Readers, would like to kindly guide your attention to the newest issue of our quarterly, in which you will find articles by Polish and international authors describing ongoing conundrums on the international arena, as well as Ireferring to history and culture. An interview with the Ambassador of the Republic of Poland in Berlin, H.E. Prof. Andrzej Przyłębski, alongside Daniel Pogorzelski’s interview with John Guzlowki, as well as an article authored by Dr. Krzysztof Rak. Each of them uniquely elaborates distinct themes impelled by the Second World War. This year commemorated 80 years since Germany’s invasion into Poland – the assault which ignited the Second World War. A war, in which Poland’s actions saw her forever inscribed onto the pages of history as a nation of honor and faith which fought valiantly. The article by Mariusz Klarecki describes the deliberate and conscious policy of the Germans on the territories of Poland. The Nazis sought to eliminate the Jewish population during the occupation. On top of the unscrupulous annihilation of around 370 000 Varsovian Jews, the losses of this part of the city’s populace were severe also in looted works of art and antiques. Moreover, the ongoing developments at EU level are analyzed by Prof. Tomasz Grzegorz Grosse and Prof. Piotr Bajda. They refer to a new balance of power and impending changes to the EU’s political status quo. Could we consider the dynamics following the elections to the European Parliament, as well as the shaping phase of EU institutions, to be indicative of new times ahead in the European Union? Building on from this, Robert Rajczyk elaborates on the paradoxes of the tense situation between Hong Kong and China. 3/2019 3 Editorial This perspective aptly puts into context the implications for the geopolitical chessboards on the global scale, which are further The examined by Maria Kądzielska. She particularly focuses on how Warsaw maneuvers of the US and China are both symptoms and causes Institute of one another. Review On behalf of the whole editorial staff, I wish you an enjoyable read, © Copyright 2019 The Warsaw Institute Review Warsaw, Poland Izabela Wojtyczka Editor-in-Chief Editor-in-Chief Izabela Wojtyczka The Warsaw Institute Review [email protected] Editorial Assistant Berenika Grabowska [email protected] Translations Aleksandra Tomaszewska Paulina Piłat Aleksandra Iskra Editing Alexander Wielgos Łukasz Biernacki Cover and Layout Katarzyna Dinwebel Jacek Kotela DTP and Printing www.sindruk.pl Public purpose co-financed by the Co-financed by the Minister of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic Culture and National Heritage of Poland in the competition “Cooperation from the Promotion of Culture in the Field of Public Diplomacy 2019”. Fund. Publisher The Warsaw Institute Review Sp. z o.o. Świętokrzyska 18/410, Ministry 00-052 Warsaw, Poland of Foreign Aff airs Republic of Poland www.warsawinstitute.review [email protected] Partners: Partner of Visegrad Report: The opinions given and the positions held in the materials published in the Warsaw Institute Review solely reflect the views of the authors and cannot be equated with the official position of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland and www.warsawinstitute.org Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland. ISSN 2543-9839 www.warsaw.institute 4 The Warsaw Institute Review CONteNTS HISTORY32 GEOPOLITICS51 VISEGRAD78 REPORT Mariusz Klarecki: Marta Kędzielska: Piotr Bajda: Warsaw Jewish collections American-Chinese relations The European Union will be and their destruction in the trade war context better off without Frans during the German Timmermans occupation INTERVIEW EUROPEAN UNION prof. Andrzej Przyłębski Tomasz Grzegorz Grosse 80 years later - the state of Polish- 2019 European Election and its German relations in context of World 68 Outcomes 6 War II HISTORY VISEGRAD REPORT Krzysztof Rak Piotr Bajda Józef Piłsudski’s policy of maintaining The European Union will be better off 11 the European status quo 78 without Frans Timmermans INTERVIEW VISEGRAD REPORT Daniel Pogorzelski Alexander Wielgos 27 Tell us who you are 85 V4 in Changeful Espionage HISTORY Mariusz Klarecki VISEGRAD REPORT Warsaw Jewish collections and their Martin Svárovský destruction during the German US military presence in Poland 32 occupation from the regional perspective and WESTERN REPORT 95 potential Czech contribution Mateusz Kubiak VISEGRAD REPORT What is the future of the Eastern 45 Partnership? Dániel Fónyi The Position of the V4 in Terms of GEOPOLITICS Security Challenges Threatening the Marta Kędzielska 107 European Unions American-Chinese relations in the 51 trade war context VISEGRAD REPORT GEOPOLITICS Wojciech Jakóbik Robert Rajczyk Poland First – Poland’s prescription 59 The Paradoxes of Autonomy 114 for hard times 3/2019 5 Interview 80 YearS Later – THE State OF POLISh-GermaN reLatiONS IN CONteXT OF THE SecOND WORLD War Interview: Izabela Wojtyczka Interview with the Ambassador of the Republic of Poland in Berlin, Prof. Andrzej Przyłębski THE BRUTAL GERMAN INVASION OF In the media, the Internet, in public POLAND ON SEPTEMBER 1, 1939, discourse, the wrong type of language IGNITED THE SECOND WORLD is used, it is based on lies. Using the WAR. IS THERE AN AWARENESS term „Polish death camps”, or “Polish IN GERMAN SOCIETY REGARDING concentration camps”, instead of German WHAT HAD HAPPENED 80 YEARS extermination camps and German AGO ON THE TERRITORIES OF concentration camps… is the most POLAND? infamous example. True, the events were Awareness regarding the Second World occurring on the territory of Poland, War in the German society is limited. but they were conducted absolutely and I have to admit that the historical entirely out of German initiative, Poles knowledge is either seriously lacking or it were the victims, and Germans the is distorted. A question arises, whether it executioners. is not a meticulously planned operation, aimed to deliberately distort history? Nevertheless I am certain that this distortion is not a happenstance. It is I’m referring, first and foremost, to the result of a deliberate policy, however, altering the language about the truth. the first element of the acceptance 6 The Warsaw Institute Review 80 years later – the state of Polish-German relations in context of the Second World War of this distortion is silence, a passive the exhibition with the story of the more acquiescence. Similar treatment can recent democratic developments in be noticed with the artificially induced Germany. They exposed the flourishing inclination to use the word “Nazi” instead commerce, tourism and culture. All of “German”. In public narration, the this was done in order to mask the truth word ‘Nazi’ has become deeply ingrained regarding the tragic history of atrocious as a reference to people who murdered and cruel times of war, in which the during the occupation. Today the word Germans played the role of the torturers ‘Nazi’ is not associated directly with and perpetrators. Germans. This is an effort to recreate a more soothing tone, which overshadows the truth. WHAT STRATEGY SHOULD THE POLISH STATE UNDERTAKE Similar examples can be found in the TOWARDS THIS? books about the history of diplomacy. Of course Poland ought to raise the issue German diplomats, for instance, of the awareness of the responsibility for attempted to influence, inter alia, the the losses incurred in the Second World form of the Holocaust Museum in War. First and foremost, we must have a Washington. This was done in order for clear policy regarding raising historical the history of the Second World War not awareness of the events of World War to dominate the image of Germany in the II. We need to speak about what was minds of the recipient – the Americans. happening on Polish territories after 1939. Officials, diplomats, and politicians Our fundamental advantage over our consciously attempted to soften the image adversaries is that we need not be afraid of Germany in the Second World War of the truth. Polish territories were scenes in the eyes of American public. In order of unprecedented carnage. This included to achieve their aims they supplemented a special targeting of the intellectual elite, 3/2019 7 Interview Regrettably, it is my belief that the current negative attitude towards Poland in Such fascist movements Germany is partly to be blamed on the foreign correspondents in Poland, in are present in German particular, German correspondents in society because they Warsaw. An aversion towards Poles is being have a sense of pride and constructed in German society. Claims that democracy and the rule of law are superiority. Historically, all but gone in Poland, and people are harassed in the streets are made quite this is due to their bluntly. To a large extent the “credit” for desire to rule over their this situation goes to the German media, which are hammering this image into the neighbors. minds of ordinary citizens. Personally, I try to fight with the false narrative, by establishing death camps and an utter supporting more authentic and objective obliteration of cities and monuments. media, which write about actual events. Of course, these are niche journals, The authentic witnesses of those times although one should begin with such should be heard. We need to conduct small steps. This is an undertaking, which studies on how Jews were betrayed and may well take a few decades.