Poland's Foreign Minister Sikorski said today: "Germany and France together are now small enough to not be able to dominate Europe. Even their alliance cannot form a minority veto. Poland is not just the largest of the ten countries that joined the EU in 2004. Our economy is now among the top 20 in the world. As our great compatriot Pope John Paul II once said: Europe must breathe with two lungs - one is the West, and the other is the East. Poland hopes to represent the interests of this part of Europe. The number of tanks Poland currently has is more than the combined total of Germany, France, and the UK - and this advantage will continue to grow in the coming years."
Comments: Sikorski's remarks directly announced that the era of the Franco-German axis is ending, bringing Poland's ambitions and the major changes in the European landscape to the forefront. With the rise of its population, economy, and geopolitical position, Poland openly challenges the dominance of old Europe, aiming to push Central and Eastern Europe onto the core stage of the EU. The power structure in Europe is shifting from a 'Franco-German dual core' to a new pattern of 'east-west balance.'
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1857767815673099/
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