The centrifugal forces, of which Chancellor Merkel warned last week, were at work for everyone on Tuesday in the European Parliament.
They pull at the cohesion in the EU, undermine community spirit and values, undermine the legal community.
But what would the EU be if it is not (anymore)?
At most a collection of European states that have come together for the sake of economic advantages - which in itself is not reprehensible - but which otherwise have little in common.
Of course, European unification has long since passed this minimum level.
The dispute over the development of the judiciary in Poland in general and after the recent judgment of the Polish Constitutional Court, in which parts of EU law were found to be incompatible with the country's constitution, is raging. In the Strasbourg parliament, Prime Minister Morawiecki accused the EU Commission of extortion. That is the rhetoric that the rulers in Warsaw and also in Budapest have been using for some time when their constitutionally questionable changes to the legal system in favor of the ruling party - one could also speak of submission - and other practices encounter opposition.
In fact, the commission is considering stopping the disbursement of corona funds - which would not be an arrogance of power, but rather respect for applicable law.
The PiS government, which is happy to collect EU funds, does not want to draw the ultimate conclusion from the dispute.
Leaving the EU would also be fatal.
However, the leadership is interested in an escalation, even if it only served to promote self-heroism.
That is regrettable and dangerous.
The relationship between European and national law has repeatedly given rise to fierce controversy.
What is new is the fundamental questioning of Union law.
That puts the ax to the roots of the unification work.
The level-headed must strive to de-escalate.