Poland could back EU migrant benefits cuts in return for a deal on Nato military bases
Poland could drop its fierce opposition against British plans to cut EU migrants’ rights to claim benefits in return for a deal on new NATO bases, the country's foreign minister has said.
Witold Waszczykowski suggested that a compromise could be reached if Britain supports Polish calls for a permanent Nato military presence on its soil amid fears of an increasingly aggressive Russia in the region.
With hundreds of thousands of Poles living in Britain, the central European state has been among the strongest opponents of David Cameron’s plans to limit migrants’ ability to claim benefits until they have been living in the country for four years.
The proposals are a key plank of the prime minister’s attempts to reform the UK’s relationship with the EU ahead of an in/out referendum widely expected to take place this summer.
Among the other concrete British proposals for reforms are:
An end to the binding principle of an 'ever closer union'
Greater competitiveness and less red tape
Protection for countries which don't use the Euro
Mr Waszczykowsk hinted at a possible deal when he was asked if the UK could offer anything to soften Polish resistance to Mr Cameron’s proposals on benefits.
"Of course. Britain could offer something to Poland in terms of international security,” he told Reuters. "Britain could support our expectations related to an allied military presence on Polish territory.”
Poland is concerned about its security after Russia annexed the Crimea and intervened in the Ukrainian conflict. The state last year called for NATO to station two brigades with thousands of troops on its soil to protect against Russia.
The apparent softening comes after several warnings that the British proposals crossed red lines for the bloc.
Mr Cameron faced a stony reception at a dinner with EU leaders last month at which the European Commission president EC President Donald Tusk said some parts of the British plans were "unacceptable".
The German Chancellor Angela has also warned that she will not allow discrimination against migrants.