Analysis: Poland’s energy ambitions

BERLIN, Sept. 10 (UPI) — Poland is one of the least energy import dependent countries in Eastern Europe, but among the fiercest when it comes to its desire to dominate energy security policy in Europe.

“Poland sees itself as a precursor in Europe when it comes to energy policy,” Kai-Olaf Lang, Poland expert at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, told United Press International in a telephone interview. “That energy policy is first and foremost Russia policy, and thus security policy.”
Poland, the largest country in Eastern Europe, has been a democracy since 1989 and a member of the European Union since 2004. The twin brothers Kaczynski — Jaroslav, the prime minister, and Lech, the president — lead the country, which is in political turmoil after Parliament dissolved itself and set new elections for late October.

Those elections, however, will likely not oust the Kaczynskis, who rose to power in late 2005 and made energy a top policy priority — a policy that is dominated by a deep mistrust toward Russia.

Warsaw has in the past tried several times to minimize Russian energy influence in Europe: It sided with Ukraine when its government rowed with Moscow over a gas price raise; it vetoed a compromise over a new EU-Russian partnership proposal because of a meat row and Russia