Poland and Germany Engage in Accusations of Meddling and Visa Schemes

Poland's Foreign Minister, Zbigniew Rau, accused Germany of interfering in their internal affairs after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called for clarification on allegations that Polish consulates sold fast-tracked work visas to migrants. Rau accused Scholz of attempting to interfere in Poland's ongoing electoral campaign and criticized his comments as an overstep. The visa allegations involve claims that as many as 350,000 migrants purchased EU Schengen visas from Polish consulates, allowing them to travel to other parts of the EU, including Germany. Germany is facing pressure to limit migration at its eastern borders and may introduce short-term border checks with Poland and the Czech Republic.