Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawieck claims France has received beneficial treatment from Brussels after deploying tens of thousands of police officers to quash the growing movement. Paris suffered weeks of violence as protesters clashed with police during demonstrations against Mr Macron’s proposed fuel tax increases and the growing cost of living across the country. And 10 people have been killed in violent scenes across the country since protests began in November.
Mr Morawieck, who has been at odds with EU bosses over complaints about Poland’s rule of law violations, claims similar scenes in Warsaw would spark international outrage from Brussels.
He told the Financial Times: “When I look at what is happening in France, I wouldn’t say that France has an issue with the rule of law, but can you imagine if those brutal interventions would happen against demonstrators in Poland how loud the voices would be in Brussels, in Berlin or maybe even Paris?
“Just as every country has their challenges, so we have our challenges with the judiciary that hasn’t been reformed for the last 30 years.”
Poland’s controversial Law and Justice party government have been at loggerheads with Brussels over a series of sweeping judicial reforms.
Warsaw ousted almost two dozen Supreme Court judges by lowering the retirement age.
In response, the European Commission took Poland to the European Court of Justice.
The Luxembourg-based court ruled against Warsaw and forced the government to suspend he reform and reinstate the judges.
EU officials welcomed the alterations but warned it doesn’t address the wider concerns about judicial reforms, which also include changes to the constitutional tribunal and the body that appoints Polish judges.
Mr Morawieck hasn’t been the only EU leader to speak out against the bloc’s beneficial treatment of Mr Macron.
Italian deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini, whose own country has also clashed with the EU Commission, claimed Rome received tougher treatment than Paris during recent budget talks.
The promises made by Mr Macron, in a bid to appease the ‘Yellow Vests’, would put France in breach of tough EU fiscal rules, which forced Italy to retreat from a deficit of 2.4 percent of GDP this year.
Mr Macron’s plan could push France’s to 3.5 percent, according to initial estimates.
Last month, Mr Salvini said the Italian government was taking a very different path to Paris and defended its big-spending 2019 budget, after falling foul of the Commission.
“Do people in Italy want scenes like we seen in Paris? No, he said.
“I want to prevent this. I want to help businesses, families and also the five million poor people here. A country with five million poor people can’t move ahead.”
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte levelled similar complaints.
He said: “Seeing what is going on in Paris, I refuse to believe that Brussels, for the sake of a few decimal places, will impose sanctions, inspectors and commissars.
“We are Italy. We have shown ourselves to be a serious country.”