When the Polish and German governments meet on Monday for annual political talks in Berlin β the first since Friedrich Merz became chancellor β the headlines are likely to be dominated by Ukraine.
Amid growing US pressure for a peace deal with Russia, Warsaw and Berlin will want to send a signal of support for Kyiv and of unity between central Europeβs largest β and militarily strongest β countries.
But below the surface, the bilateral relationship is increasingly tricky. Poland, long considered the junior partner, no longer sees itself in an inferior role. This is not only because of its economic success since the fall of communism in 1989, but because it has avoided German policies that it sees as missteps, namely on migration and relations with Russia.
βPoles have become more self-assured, especially in relation to Germany as it has always been a reference point,β says Dr Agnieszka Εada-KonefaΕ, vice-director of the German Institute of Polish Affairs, who co-leads a study of Polish-German relations.
This year the study, which has tracked mutual sentiment for the past 25 years, showed a near record level of aversion on the Polish side, with only slightly more Poles having a positive view of Ge
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