Andrzej Domański said Europe needs to learn lessons from the past Poland's finance minister, Andrzej Domański, has said there can be no return to "business as usual" with Russia, including in terms of energy imports. Domański was speaking during the fourth Polish-German Economic Forum, held in Warsaw on Monday. Germany became a major importer of Russian hydrocarbons, particularly natural gas, prior to Moscow launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Along with most EU governments, Berlin implemented a policy of withdrawing from energy imports from Russia in a bid to stem cash flows to Moscow's war machine. But some in Germany, notably the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which is leading in opinion polls, have called for détente with Moscow and a return to cheap energy imports. In his opening address at the economic forum, organized by the Polish Investment and Trade Agency (PAIH) and the Polish-German Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Domański referred to this year's 35th anniversary of Warsaw and Berlin signing the 1991 Treaty of Good Neighborship and Friendly Cooperation. "Here, addressing our German friends, I want to say something very clearly," Domański said. "Europe must draw lessons from the past. "Under no circumstances can there ever be a return to 'business as usual' with Russia. Poland will never agree to that," he said. Domański said the world was changing faster than ever, adding: “We face new geopolitical, strategic and technological challenges. Europe must be ready to face these challenges." This will only be possible with a strong European economy, for which new drivers of growth must be found, the minister argued. 'Economy of naivety' "We must lose what I call the economy of naivety," he said. "We must stand firm for economic growth, for the fight against unnecessary bureaucracy, for the building of competitive energy markets and for a responsible approach to technology." He said Europe needed to develop a competitive advantage, introduce greater deregulation and work towards a European energy market, while at the same time keeping security in mind.
Finance Minister Andrzej Domański said Europe needs to develop a competitive advantage while maintaining security. (PAP/Paweł Supernak)
