GOOGLE Poland has backed Angela Merkel for a fourth term

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Jaroslaw Kaczynski, leader of the ruling Law and Justice party, said Germany had abused the EU for its own gain, warning the era of a EU run from Berlin must come to an end. The Polish leader issued a strong rebuke to Berlin with an endorsement of claims made by senior members of the US President’s team that Germany had dominated Europe and milked the single currency for its own gain. Asked about the remarks from Mr Trump, he told Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung: “Unfortunately, for the most part Mrs Merkel is absolutely the number one in the EU, and that is not a healthy situation.

"It is necessary to strengthen the national states and reduce the competences of the union. We also need to protect ourselves from too much centralisation. Germany benefits from it, but others do not." But in a sensational endorsement, Mr Kaczynski also backed Angela Merkel to secure a fourth term as the German chancellor, perferring the current leader over ex EU chief Martin Schulz.

GETTY Jaroslaw Kaczynski said the German chancellor was the 'right' choice

GETTY But he agreed with Donald Trump over German dominance of the EU

Warsaw said the under-fire chancellor was the “best” choice for both Germany and the European Union, after Martin Schulz took a shock lead in the polls yesterday. The endorsement is all the more astonishing because Polish political leaders have historically been scathing of Mrs Merkel, in particular over her response to the refugee crisis. Speaking just hours before the chancellor visits her neighbours for talks on the future of Europe, Mr Kaczynski broke diplomatic protocol to declare: “It is true that Frau Merkel would be best for us.”

Polish hostility towards Mr Schulz, the former European Parliament president who this week overtook Mrs Merkel in the polls, stems from comments he made about domestic reforms implemented by the right-wing government in Warsaw. The socialist politician controversially compared the Polish leadership to the Kremlin over alterations to its justice system, which are currently the focus of a furious legal battle in the European Court of Justice. In a withering attack Mr Kaczynski dismissed the former eurocrat as a “leftist ideologist” and said that Mrs Merkel had “never expressed herself in such an unpolitical way as he did." He also backed the German leader’s call for increased European defence cooperation and said her strong backing for NATO and sanctions against Russia was hugely important.

Angela Merkel in pictures Tue, August 8, 2017 Angela Merkel has served as German Chancellor since 2005 and Leader of the Christian Democratic Union since 2000. We take a look at her political career in pictures. Play slideshow AFP/Getty Images 1 of 83 Angela Merkel through the years