There is an asymmetry in the German-Polish relationship.

While in Poland the western neighbor is always present in the perception of the population and in politics, the eastern neighbor does not occupy a special position in the thinking of most Germans.

The countries in the west are perceived as closer and often more important.

This applies not only to France, but also to the Netherlands and others, which are significantly smaller than Poland.

This has not done justice to the German-Polish reality for a long time. Today, the two countries are so closely intertwined as was hardly imaginable when the neighborhood treaty was signed 30 years ago. It is a network of economic and social relationships that the current political friction can hardly harm.

It is therefore not a sign of a crisis, but an expression of reassuring normality that Presidents Steinmeier and Duda did not just give Sunday speeches at the celebrations to mark the anniversary of the signing of the contract. While it would be up to the Germans to finally fully perceive Poland as the important and successful country it is, the problem with most of the current political issues lies in Warsaw right now. The right-wing government there pursues short-sighted nationalist and often anti-EU policies.