An explosive EU row with Poland over its rejection of some of the bloc's laws is set to overshadow a two-day summit of European Union leaders starting Thursday, officials said.
The issue was eclipsing the original theme for the Brussels gathering: examining how Europe can cope with the global energy crunch while sticking to ambitious green policies it will brandish at the COP 26 climate summit in two weeks' time.
EU officials speaking on condition of anonymity said the rule-of-law issue is so fundamental that battle lines being drawn around it have the potential to split the 27 - nation bloc.
In a sign of the alarm and rising tensions, key leaders have lined up one-on-one meetings with French Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki just before the summit's start at 3: 00 pm 1300 GMT Emmanuel Macron saw Morawiecki at Brussels airport as both arrived. The Spanish leader was then to see German Chancellor Pedro Sanchez and maybe then also his German counterpart Angela Merkel before the all-in gathering.
The high stakes were already on display earlier this week when EU chief Ursula von der Leyen and Morawiecki duelled at a podium in the European Parliament.
Von der Leyen warned her European Commission that Warsaw would use all instruments at our disposal to rein in Warsaw. Mateusz shot back: I will not have EU politicians blackmail Poland. EU officials and diplomats said that the matter would be discussed at the summit alongside energy, Covid - 19, Europe's transition to a digital and low-carbon future, migration, trade and external relations.
However, several EU officials insisted that there would be no ganging up against Poland.
Morawiecki has dug in, accusing Brussels of overstepping its authority and using the row as a pretext to force member states into line towards a more federal Europe.
In Warsaw, Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Szymon Szynkowski vel Sek told national media on Thursday that his country cannot take a single step back in the row otherwise other EU countries could be trampled by Brussels.
We will not allow ourselves to be backed into a corner, he said.
Poland has a couple of weapons at its disposal to use against Brussels.
One is withholding approval of 36 billion euros $42 billion Poland is asking for from the EU's 800 - billion-euro coronavirus recovery fund.
The Commission has been blocking a green light, saying disbursement is conditional on Poland restoring judges' independence.
Another measure is to trigger a conditionality mechanism agreed in a tempestuous summit nearly a year ago that ties pay-outs from the EU budget to adherence to rule of law norms in member countries.
The European Parliament, and the Benelux countries, are pushing hard for this mechanism to be used on Poland.
But the Commission is taking its time. It stresses that a high burden of proof is needed if, as likely, the matter goes to court.
Budapest and Warsaw have a pact to use their vetoes to punish the other from any attempt by EU capitals to shield them.