Poland’s President Andrzej Duda launched a scathing attack during his panel discussion at the World Economic Forum in Davos when asked about the European Commission.
Appearing alongside the presidents of Lithuania and Ukraine, Mr Duda took aim at what he saw as the hypocritical stance in Brussels for “creating a crisis” in its relationhsip with Poland.
For the past year, tensions have been growing between Poland and Jean-Claude Juncker’s European Commission.
The Brussels-based officials have even threatened to reduce funding to Poland over its controversial domestic reforms.
Mr Duda told the Davos crowd: “This is not a very comfortable situation for the EU – especially when we have Brexit happening too – to create such a big crisis.
“I will call this a crisis, because this really is one. You talked about fake news earlier, that is one of the most dangerous tools of hybrid warfare.
“This is modern kind of war in a contemporary world.”
The panel host then pressed the Polish leader on whether he was implying that the European Commission was spreading fake news and, as such, waging war.
Mr Duda responded: “Well yes, the European Commission have been ‘disinformated’.
“There is fake news spreading. It first emerged from the opposition party in Poland.”
He noted that his country had been marked out unfairly since the reforms his Government implemented were based on similar policies in Spain and Sweden.
The Eastern European leader added: “I don’t know why our reforms are anti-democratic in Poland, and the same reforms in other EU countries are correct.
“The standing of the European Commission was absolutely one-sided.”
The EU has regarded the domestic policies of Poland’s ruling Law and Justice Party (PiS) as violating European rules and values.
However, earlier this week, party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski refused to stop his party’s justice reforms despite the EU’s threats.