Prime Ministers of Poland

A few weeks later, after a successful European Council summit, which agreed a compromise solution over the rule-of-law conditionality that EU institutions want to impose on EU funds, Morawiecki was hailing it as a victory for Poland: "Thank you [Hungarian Prime Minister] Viktor Orban for our cooperation for the best budget for Poland and the fight to keep the agreed conditions."

European Council President Charles Michel spoke for many when he tweeted: "Now we can start with the implementation [of the budget and recovery package] and build back our economies."

Politicians from Poland's governing coalition have fallen back on the typical anti-German tropes to justify the veto.

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But as Poland confirmed 150 cases of the virus on Monday morning, Health Minister Lukasz Szumowski said, "We must expect a four-digit number of people infected with coronavirus this week." 

The so-called Rywin affair — named after top film producer Lew Rywin, who was accused of arranging a $17.5 million bribe to influence a new media law, allegedly on behalf of the then prime minister's closest circle — ultimately toppled the government and sent Rywin to prison.

Examples are legion. When Der Spiegel reported that the far-right Alternative for Deutschland had misappropriated funds, the party's supporters could not have cared less.

Donald Tusk's term as president of the European Council will end on 30 November, which is perfect timing for the Polish opposition.

After the parliamentary election in late October, Poland will hold its presidential election in April 2020, and opposition voters already see Tusk as the only viable candidate.

Donald Tusk warned on Monday that the bitter feud between Warsaw and Brussels over the rule of law could lead to Poland stumbling out of the EU by accident.