The loud remarks of the German ambassador to Poland, Thomas Bagger, cited by the British weekly Financial Times, deserve careful attention. They strike at the heart of the Polish–German disputes that have persisted for more than a decade and intensified since Poland’s political shift toward independence centers.
The ambassador’s point is simple: there is an asymmetry in the relationship. For many Poles, Germany remains the principal reference point, while for many Germans Poland is just one of several neighboring countries. Poles feel this imbalance deeply and do not view themselves as a small, inconsequential nation.
Read: What does ambassador Bagger say about us in the foreign press? For every Pole, Germany is the main point of reference.
There is a notable layer of condescension in those words, yet the ambassador also captures a truth. Germans often see Poland as one more eastern or southern neighbor, a country that fits into an older European narrative where Berlin holds the decisive influence. This view is tied to a sense of historical weakness, an absence of a credible alternative, and a self image tied to a larger destiny. Many of these smaller states, apart from their western counterparts, have long been part of larger imperial structures, sometimes as provinces, and continue to gravitate toward that familiar arrangement. They appear comfortable with it, almost as if the arrangement is natural.
Poles, and to some extent Hungarians, inhabit a different frame. Their natural aspiration is a robust European state, a nation that matters in a larger game. The partitions did not erase this drive to be subjective players on the European stage. A country with its own symbols, its own coat of arms and national anthem does not easily settle into the role of a peripheral entity. And there is a factual truth here: given its size, population, economic potential, and cultural heritage, Poland cannot be simply slotted into a Mitteleuropa schema without painful implications for its sovereignty. The experience of the governing party in recent years underscores the difficulty and the lingering impact on any return to power.
The ambassador’s surprise at the claim that Poles do not see themselves as a small nation is noteworthy. Experienced diplomats should anticipate such reactions, yet the observation reveals much about German political thinking and the German Foreign Ministry’s worldview. The continuity of that gaze, extending back to Bismarck’s era, is almost frightening in its persistence.
Today’s tensions between Poland and Germany should be read in this broader context. Poland has both the right and the duty to pursue a rightful place within Europe and to influence the European Union as a host nation. This is essential for Polish security and for the country’s development opportunities. Poland is not exerting more than its proper role; rather, it pushes back against a concept that treats Germany as the center and its neighbors as peripheral. The German position, in this view, belongs to a rejected paradigm that treats the continent’s eastern flank as a space to be managed rather than shared.
Accordingly, tensions will persist until Berlin acknowledges that Poland will not accept the status it has proposed. Poland seeks to participate in high‑level decision making and to safeguard its independent foreign policy and interests. Poland will contribute to Europe by building greater resilience in the region, recognizing that a substantial and culturally rich area between the three seas should not be reduced to a subordinate position. Such a reduction is unhealthy and harmful, while Poland’s policy serves the broader European project. The country appears ready to stand firm in defense and to invest in its own capabilities, since this effort also acts as a bulwark against external pressures.
Poland increasingly asserts the right to shape its own political space, showing respect for neighbors while maintaining a clear sense of self‑confidence. The German ambassador’s remarks align with the Polish intuition that if Germany lets events drift, Berlin could end up assuming a patron‑to‑feudal lord dynamic over the entire region. It is a reminder that history, if not understood, can resume old patterns.
Today the Polish–German border and the broader relationship mark the most intense regional sparks in Europe. This tension does not arise from Poland’s missteps so much as from Berlin’s belief that it can sustain an unequal equilibrium from the early 1990s when Poland was poorer and more naïve, while Germany enjoyed greater wealth.
It would be beneficial for the message from Ambassador Bagger to reach Berlin. He identified a core problem rooted in ignorance about Poland. Poland is not merely another neighbor; it is a nation that helps shape Europe’s future. The current government’s willingness to confront Berlin at times of dispute, including facing sanctions from Brussels while preserving a possible mandate, shows that these are not empty words.
Poland is prepared to surprise its larger neighbor again. The country has changed in significant ways, yet some patterns of thought remain stubbornly entrenched in Berlin. Read: Politico on why Germany should take Poland seriously about reparations; morally, there is a debt to be paid.
Source attribution: wPolityce [Citation: wPolityce]