Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Poland waves white flag in EU rule of law dispute

Poland waves white flag in EU rule of law dispute

Warsaw wants rapid changes to the courts in a bid to unlock €35 billion in EU cash.

Money talks.

Faced with the prospect of losing billions in EU cash and increasingly desperate to turn around sagging opinion polls ahead of next year’s election, Poland’s ruling Law and Justice party on Wednesday signaled a retreat on long-running judicial disputes that have soured relations between Warsaw and Brussels.

“We don’t have time for tug-of-war [with the Commission]. I have appealed to the opposition to start working on the proposed law as fast as possible,” Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki told a press briefing Wednesday.

A draft law presented to the Polish parliament late Tuesday would implement a reform that Brussels has long sought. The idea would be to move judicial disciplinary matters from a special chamber in the Supreme Court, which is seen as influenced by the government, to another top court, the Supreme Court of Administration, which is viewed as being more independent. 

The draft law would also end sanctions against judges who raise questions about the status of fellow judges — a touchy issue in Poland as many recently appointed judges have dubious legal status.

Poland’s Minister of European Affairs Szymon Szynkowski vel Sęk said those changes were negotiated in Brussels with the Commission.

“If this project is adopted, it will be tantamount — this is the declaration from the [European Commission] — to the release of funds for Poland,” said government spokesperson Piotr Müller.

Judicial independence and the use of disciplinary measures to punish judges who spoke out against the government’s judicial reforms are at the heart of the rule-of-law dispute between Poland and the EU.

The government argued that deep reforms were needed to make Polish courts more efficient, accessible, and cleansed of communist-era judges. Critics saw the legal changes, which started in late 2015, as an effort to put the courts under tighter political control.

As a result, the European Commission has held up €35 billion in grants and loans from the pandemic recovery fund, and the Court of Justice of the EU last year imposed a €1 million a day fine for not complying with an EU court order to suspend the country’s controversial disciplinary mechanism for judges.

Even Morawiecki has admitted in a recent interview that the result is a mess: “We probably couldn’t have more chaos and trouble in the judiciary than we currently have.”

Poland attempted to backtrack five months ago, but the largely cosmetic reforms did little but change the name of the disciplinary chamber, and weren’t enough for the Commission to agree to unblock the desperately needed EU cash.


Political brinksmanship


Getting EU approval to disburse the frozen funds, however, means the bill has to make it through both chambers of parliament and then be signed by President Andrzej Duda, and that’s not a done deal.

The government has a razor-thin majority in parliament, and needs the votes of its far-right junior coalition partner, United Poland, to pass the measure. But the party, led by Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro, the architect of the reforms, a hard-line euroskeptic and Morawiecki’s political rival, wants to delay a decision on whether to support the bill.

Ziobro has blasted proposed compromises with Brussels as “blackmail.”

“I don’t know whether United Poland will vote in favor,” Morawiecki said in a radio interview. “United Poland’s leadership has asked for a few days for consideration.”

That’s why Morawiecki is asking the opposition for help in moving the legislation forward, but those parties are loath to rush and aid the government.

“We are ready to work, but it will not be done in a fast-track mode. I think there is time for that next week,” said Borys Budka, the parliamentary leader of the opposition Civic Platform party.

A demonstration in Warsaw in 2021 against a law voted at the Polish parliament against media freedom


“We will do everything to obtain funds from the EU … but we must not forget who bears the responsibility that we don’t have this money yet,” Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, leader of the opposition agrarian Polish People’s Party, told reporters in parliament on Wednesday.

But the government is ignoring those qualms from the opposition, and aims to race the bill through parliament. The first reading of the legislation has been scheduled for Thursday, PiS spokesperson Rafał Bochenek said on Wednesday, with the second and the final third reading taking place on Tuesday.

There are also doubts that switching to the Supreme Court of Administration is in line with the Polish constitution, but Morawiecki said he is certain of the legality of the measure.

Some observers doubt whether the proposed changes are in line with the Commission’s criteria.

Laurent Pech, a law professor at University College Dublin, called the bill a “joke” that doesn’t meet the demands of the Commission and the Court of Justice.

Jakub Jaraczewski, a research coordinator for Democracy Reporting International, a Berlin-based NGO, said: “The Commission should wait to see the final text of the law, but as it stands, the proposed legislation fails to meet the recovery fund milestones Poland agreed with the Commission earlier this year.” 

The opposition is having a difficult time concealing its glee at the government’s difficulties.

“Don’t get upset buddy. These are good changes,” Civic Platform leader and former European Council President Donald Tusk ribbed Morawiecki. “There is no need to go on your knees to Brussels.”

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
EU Proposes Phasing Out Russian Oil and Gas by End of 2027 to End Energy Dependence
More Than 150,000 Followers for a Fictional Character: The New Influencers Are AI Creations
EU Prepares for War
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Big Tech Executives Laud Trump at White House Dinner, Unveil Massive U.S. Investments
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
‘Looks Like a Wig’: Online Users Express Concern Over Kate Middleton
Florida’s Vaccine Revolution: DeSantis Declares War on Mandates
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
"The Situation Has Never Been This Bad": The Fall of PepsiCo
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
The Fashion Designer Who Became an Italian Symbol: Giorgio Armani Has Died at 91
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Druzhba Pipeline Incident Sparks Geopolitical Tensions
×