EU: The Polish Prime Minister, Mr Leszek Miller, has said Poland is anxious to break the deadlock on new EU voting rules which has delayed ratification of the EU constitution.
Mr Miller said, after talks with the German Chancellor, Mr Gerhard Schröder, in Warsaw yesterday, that a compromise on the voting issue is "not just necessary but possible".
"Poland has a continuing and lively interest in close co-operation with Germany in all areas and at all levels. The Polish government is open for discussing the formulation of a compromise," said Mr Miller, adding that he had discussed with Mr Schröder "various possibilities" of reaching a deal by June.
The Polish leader said the constitutional treaty was necessary to increase integration and to give the EU "room to manoeuvre" on important issues, particularly security issues in the wake of the the Madrid bombings.
However, Mr Miller made no explicit mention of the "double majority" voting system favoured by Germany which is seen as the likely basis of a compromise, leaving that to his German counterpart.
"Whoever is or soon will be a member of the European Union has certain responsibilities, therefore it is welcome that Poland is ready to observe its responsibility for the success of the union," said Mr Schröder. "I made very clear our position . . . that the so-called double majority is our position, and is fundamental and not to be given up. I'm very happy that we agree that the creation of the constitution . . . should be finished during the Irish presidency."
The two leaders said they had entrusted their foreigner ministers to help the Irish government "find a good compromise".
Attempts to agree new voting rules failed last December with Germany and France calling for a new voting system that reflects population size while Poland and Spain pushed for the retention of the voting deal agreed at Nice.
Poland first signalled a change in its position last week, following signals from the new Spanish government that it was prepared to consider a compromise based on the double majority.
Political observers in Warsaw say the success of negotiations now hinges on making suitable concessions to Poland to enable Mr Miller sell a deal at home.
"It will now be crucial for Poland to negotiate some face-saving formula in the agreement," said Mr Janusz Reiter, head of Warsaw's International Relations Centre.
Government sources in Berlin accepted yesterday that, with support for the Polish government hovering at just 10 per cent, Germany will play an important role in shaping a deal that gives Mr Miller some flexibility to counter criticism from anti-EU politicians in Warsaw that he caved in.
"Naturally in the coming discussions, all parties must be ready to compromise," said a government source in Berlin last night. "But it's also important to remember that the double majority is not the only issue that needs to be clarified at the summit, but also the issue of the application of majorities and the future of the Commission," said the government spokesman.
After a working lunch in Warsaw, Mr Schröder and Mr Miller joked with each other before the television cameras in a carefully-choreographed show of solidarity. They said it was proof that outstanding disagreements have not overshadowed what they both called "extremely close" German-Polish relations.
"The prime minister is right when he says that the Polish-German relationship is in a good shape, something that applies as well in the times when we have to work out differences of opinion in a friendly fashion with each other," said Mr Schröder. "Both countries are always interested in finding a sensible compromise." Mr Schröder said, in English, that he was thrilled to see Mr Miller was "in good shape" following his helicopter accident before Christmas.
"Gnarled oak trees can survive storms in politics, whether in Germany or in Poland," he joked, adding it was an "honour" to be invited into Mr Miller's home.
Mr Miller lavished praise on Mr Schröder, calling him a "friend, a colleague . . . a great European and world politician".
He added he was pleased that Mr Schröder had accepted his invitation to attend a memorial ceremony next June to mark the 60th anniversary of the Warsaw uprising.