The invitation that the French president Emmanuel Macron recently came up with to reform the european union is a hopeful sign for the whole continent. We may have our differences, but we agree on the important issues.

We need to breathe new life into the UNION by making the union more democratic, contiguous and fair. And we need to strengthen Europe against the enemies who want to weaken it – internal populist forces and the foreign powers that support them.

The current government is marginalising Poland within the EU, to the extent that its voice is now of little importance.

When the populists come to power, as the ruling party Law and Justice (PIS) has made in Poland, dreaming that such a split within the democratic opposition. But we have counteracted their cynical strategy by the eve of the elections to the EUROPEAN parliament in may to create the European coalition of Polish opposition. This new democratic alliance, whose leader I am, is already well in the polls and is on the path to defeat PIS – the first in may and then in Poland’s general election in the fall.

that respects the law and plays a positive role in the EU. And Europe needs Poland, which, at the same time that it defends its own interests, even with the force to stand up for the democratic values that are central to the future of the EU.

Poland’s own experience of the threat – the anti-european attitudes and the attack on the supremacy of law – that the Macron so well describes. Despite the fact that the poles are among the most pro-european peoples of the EU is Jaroslaw Kaczynski, leader of PIS and de facto also for the Polish government, in the process of that poison our ties with the union. The current government is marginalising Poland within the EU, to the extent that its voice is now of little importance.

in power can Abuse very well come to give the country the final doses of their xenophobic poison by completely subordinating the Polish judiciary and the media, his party’s whims. A country without an independent judiciary, can hardly stay in the EU.

A new Polish government led by the European coalition would seek to participate in the Macrons initiative to reform the EU. We agree with him that the EUROPEAN union can compete with other global powers such as no single member state can. Similarly, if that the EUROPEAN union must strengthen its external borders, protect its democratic processes from external manipulation and investing in research and innovation at a level that can be compared with the USA’s and China’s.

Furthermore, the individual member states and the EUROPEAN union start samorda its policies in the areas of economy, defense and education. Our deficiencies in these areas gives foreign operators the benefits and increases the risk that they are taking over additional parts of the european industry.

of the Macrons suggestions about the best way to attack these problems is to create new EU authorities. The EU has already more than 30 such. More government means more bureaucracy – a result that won’t instill much enthusiasm for Europe. A simpler solution would be to reinforce the existing EU institutions and ensure that they receive adequate funding.

Macros are right in that the ”progress and freedom is about being able to live from their work”. However, each of the administrative attempt to equalize, labor costs within the EU would lead to the loss of jobs in Poland and elsewhere in Central europe and reduce the inflows of capital that contributes to raising wages and making it possible for the region to catch up. The manufacturing sector would continue to leave the EUROPEAN union countries are not competitive enough, but it would go to other parts of the world, not to Central europe.

the highlight of a european defence and security policy. If the European coalition will come to power in Poland, we intend to initiate a debate among EU leaders on effective institutional arrangements and to extend the union’s defence capabilities. The EU needs a hefty defence budget.

the EU should show more initiative with regard to cooperation with Nato. You should strive to confirm the transatlantic link and strengthening the operational cooperation. The key to our joint success, is capable of defence – transatlantic and european.

the important task of completing the european integration. Let us welcome the countries of the western Balkans when they are ready. And let us respect the european aspirations of Ukraine, a country of great strategic importance for Poland and the EU.

30 years ago overcame the poles of their disagreement, and dismissed strongly of communism, and the subjugation under the Soviet union. This led to the fall of the berlin wall and the end of communism in Europe. Today, when we are confronted by a populist government that wants to divide us, we need to remain as united in the cause of democracy and in our rejection of lawless, authoritarian governance, as we were in 1989.

the Macrons call for european renewal comes at just the right time. We are determined to return Poland to its rightful place in a democratic Europe, and we are prepared to take on the common task of reform of the EU.

Translation: Mats Dannewitz Linder

Copyright: Project Syndicate