The European Union is threatened not only by the external imperialism of Russia but also by “imperialism within”, especially on the part of Germany, warns Poland’s foreign minister, Zbigniew Rau.

“The EU needs not German leadership, but German self-restraint”, - Rau wrote in an article published by the Rzeczpospolita daily. He accuses Germany of seeking to increase its influence over other member states by, among other things, pushing the expansion of majority voting in the EU in place of seeking consensus.

In June, the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling for the EU treaties to be changed in order to better respond to threats. Among the measures it suggested is the abolition of veto powers on certain issues by switching from unanimity to qualified majority voting among member states.

Rau, however, warned that any “reform of the community’s decision-making process…should go in the direction of curbing the aspirations of domination by creating the conditions for genuine freedom and equality of member states, and thus stopping all imperial pursuits and practices”.

In his view, imperialism within the EU consists of “the desire to dominate partners, impose a rationale on them, ignore their rights, interests and needs, as well as their protests”.