The German ambassador in Warsaw is in the city for a six-month posting with clear objectives. He aims to move Poland closer to Berlin and to position Germany as a reliable partner in supporting Ukraine. Yet Thomas Bagger has faced a bumpy path. He has tangled with debates that yield little, delivered speeches that feel shallow, and overlooked the on-the-ground realities in Poland. From Berlin, his team pushed out content that seemed unpolished, creating an impression of inexperience. In this climate, the ambassador leans on familiar talking points about democracy, freedom, friendship, and NATO until a recent piece on wPolityce.pl highlights Deputy Prime Minister Mariusz Błaszczak’s remarks about struggling energy cooperation with Moscow. In response, the German diplomat, sometimes described as blunt and even provocative, accuses Poland of supporting Moscow:
Does the minister understand how many billions of zlotys Poland sends to Moscow each year in exchange for Russian energy?
The remark, posted on social media, lands as childish and breaks with the norms of respectful dialogue with the host nation. It blends a tone of arrogance with a reflexive urgency. Poland has been steadily reducing its dependence on Russian energy, a process not fully completed by predecessors of the current government. Meanwhile, Berlin’s policy has often moved in the opposite direction, with enduring links to Gazprom shaped in part by European Union rules.
The accusation that Poland is arming the aggressor in Ukraine stands out, especially when the German side is seen as critical of Kyiv’s partners. Today, instead of a chorus of mutual respect, the phrase “German ambassador” risks taking on a charged meaning similar to previous controversial behavior—raising questions about balance and restraint in diplomacy.
There could be a deeper purpose behind this nonchalance. If a German Member of Parliament makes similar statements, and if there is a belief that a mixed message about Polish-German rapprochement can coexist with criticism of Poland’s presumed German faults, one wonders whether such a stance is meant to press Poland into subservience or to dictate its policy path from within international circles.
In defense of Tusk
The episode echoes a prior moment involving Ambassador Bagger when he publicly challenged a senior Polish official. In August 2022, a Berlin envoy questioned the head of the National Bank of Poland, Adam Glapiński, who suggested that Donald Tusk might secure a prominent EU role thanks to Poland’s entry into the euro area. The Polish official’s position drew a response from the German representative in Poland, who asked whether the present should be confused with the past and whether the perceived threat to Poland should be weighed along the eastern axis rather than the western one.
Efforts by a German diplomat to steer high-ranking Polish officials can evoke mixed reactions among observers. Bagger’s approach, more humorous than intimidating in recent days, still hints at a recurring pattern in German engagement with Poland and its state. Berlin may still be underestimating how such remarks are received. Poles who favor independence grow wary of what they see as German paternalism shaping regional policy. It remains unclear whether the German approach reflects a broader strategic aim or simply a misreading of public sentiment in Poland.
One thing is evident: if Thomas Bagger maintains this style, the political climate around Donald Tusk may resist such rhetoric. The practical reality is that Berlin might need to adjust its messaging to avoid friction with a Poland that values sovereignty and a clear, transparent policy agenda.