Good neighbours?

In September 2017 Reuters website ran this story:

"Germany’s entry alongside France into a battle between the European Commission and Poland over the rule of law increases the likelihood of unprecedented EU action to punish Warsaw."

This may be a watershed moment in the dispute over an overhaul of the judiciary and other steps taken by PiS which Brussels says undermine democracy in the largest ex-communist EU state.

Poland risks a reprimand under procedures known as Article 7 that have never been used before and would deal a heavy blow to its prestige, deepen its isolation in the bloc and diminish its ability to influence EU policies.

“As much as I wish for good relations with Poland they are our neighbour and I will always strive for this given the importance of our ties -- we can’t simply keep our mouth shut in order to keep the peace,” Merkel said in Berlin.