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However, Mrs Krumbmuller told France24 this blantant "screw you" to Poland has triggered a tense power play for control in Brussels .

Mr Macron wants to reform EU labour laws and reduce the amount of time posted workers can work abroad from three years to one.

Famke Krumbmuller, a German risk analyst, warned the French President was playing with fire by stoking up tensions with Eastern European states.

Famke Krumbmuller, a German risk analyst, warned that the French President was playing with fire

She said: "Macron seems to have convinced Romania and Bulgaria to his side.

"France is going against Poland, Hungary and even the European Commission which wants the posted worker term time to be two years."

"The support he has might be enough to overcome the blocking minority in the EU council. This is end of the European consensus politics."

The row has centred on rules governing posted workers - the cheap labour from eastern countries sent to more prosperous EU nations.

Poland - the member that benefits most from the law - wants to keep the current rules intact.

Mr Macron said: “Poland has decided to isolate itself from Europe and its refusal to revise this directive doesn’t change my confidence in getting a positive outcome.

"The Polish prime minister will have difficulty explaining why it’s good to pay the Poles badly."

He added Poland "cannot be the country that gives Europe its direction."

Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo hit back, calling the French leader’s criticism “arrogant".

She also accused France of trying to “take apart one of the pillars of the EU” — the free movement of workers among the bloc’s 28 nations.