European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker is opposed to cutting funds from the European Union’s next budget for countries (like Poland) that have refused to take in refugees under a 2015 EU quota system.
As reported by Radio Poland online, Juncker’s comments, in an interview with Belgian broadcaster RTBF, came after Martin Schulz, the head of Germany’s Social Democratic Party (SPD), said last week that Berlin would limit its contributions to the next European Union budget if Poland and Hungary did not help resolve the bloc’s migrant crisis.
Last month, the European Commission took Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary to the top EU court for refusing to accept migrant quotas.
In response, Poland’s Interior Minister Mariusz Błaszczak said Warsaw would not cave in to demands by Brussels, arguing that Islamic migrant communities in Europe increased the threat of terrorism.
In September 2015, EU leaders agreed that each country in the bloc would accept a number of migrants over two years.
Poland’s previous government led by the Civic Platform party agreed to take in over 6,000 people. But after coming to power in October 2015, Poland’s conservative Law and Justice (PiS) government staunchly opposed the move.
