Poland plans to introduce temporary controls at its borders with Germany and Lithuania starting next week. Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the move was in response to German border controls and pointed out that he had already warned the German side in March that such action would be taken. Borders within the Schengen Area are supposed to be open. Commentators assess the motives and ramifications.

::: spoiler 🇩🇪 Der Tagesspiegel (DE) [Liberal] / 01 July 2025

Together is better

Warsaw and Berlin should work together instead of acting unilaterally, Der Tagesspiegel points out:

“Poland has long sought Germany's support in protecting its eastern border, which is also an external EU border, against irregular migration. Russia and Belarus are channelling irregular migration towards Poland's eastern border in order to weaken the EU. Merz and Tusk and their interior ministers should therefore sit down together. Why not implement a three-pronged strategy: joint controls on the German-Polish border, a joint effort to strengthen Poland's eastern border and mutual assistance to speed up asylum and deportation procedures?” :::