World

Polish PM accuses EU of blackmail amid rule of law row

BRUSSELS —
The European Union’s prime official locked horns Tuesday with Poland’s prime minister, arguing {that a} latest ruling from the nation’s constitutional courtroom difficult the supremacy of EU legal guidelines is a risk to the bloc’s foundations and will not be left unanswered.

Addressing EU lawmakers in Strasbourg, European Fee president Ursula von der Leyen mentioned she is deeply involved by the ruling, which she mentioned is “a direct problem to the unity of the European authorized order” and undermines the safety of judicial independence.

“The rule of legislation is the glue that binds our union collectively,” von der Leyen mentioned.

Relations between Poland and the EU reached a brand new low earlier this month after the tribunal dominated that Polish legal guidelines take priority over these of the 27-nation bloc – which Poland joined in 2004 – escalating lingering tensions over democratic requirements between the nation’s right-wing nationalist authorities and Brussels establishments.

The cut up got here to a head at Tuesday’s plenary of the European Parliament, the place Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki defended his nation’s stance that the very best legislation of Poland is the nation’s structure and that stands above every other legislation.

However Morawiecki insisted that Poland abides by EU treaties and dismissed remark from opponents of Poland’s nationalist authorities who concern that the courtroom’s ruling has put the nation on a path to a potential “Polexit,” or an exit from the 27-nation EU.

“We shouldn’t be spreading additional lies about Poland leaving the EU,” he mentioned.

On the coronary heart of the dispute is the query who ought to have probably the most energy inside the 27-nation bloc – every particular person nation over their residents or the EU establishments over the member nations. It was the prime mover behind the exit of Britain from the EU, and it has stirred passions in a number of jap and central European nations like Poland and Hungary.

The entire thought behind the EU is {that a} united entrance will make the 27 nations a formidable energy on the planet, whereas they’d be bystanders as particular person international locations. And even when member states are joyful to see that energy utilized in worldwide relations, some abhor it when it impacts them.

In his speech, Morawiecki described Poland as a nation that’s being intimidated and attacked by an EU whose prime courtroom points rulings that intention to take increasingly energy away from its member states.

He insisted that the EU should stay a union of sovereign states till the time that each one its members agree by treaty to surrender extra of their very own nationwide powers.

“We at the moment are seeing a creeping revolution going down by means of verdicts of the European Court docket of Justice,” he mentioned.

He additionally mentioned he sees double requirements within the EU rulings on Poland’s adjustments to its judiciary, noting that every nation has its personal judicial system, with politicians electing judges in some instances.

The European Fee has a number of choices to attempt to make Warsaw adjust to EU legislation, notably by persevering with to carry up the nation’s entry to billions of euros in European cash to assist revive its economic system within the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

“We can not and we won’t permit our widespread values to be put in danger. The Fee will act,” von der Leyen mentioned.

The fee also can begin infringement procedures, or resolve to activate a mechanism permitting the suspension of funds of EU cash to a member nation breaching the rules of the rule of legislation in a method that impacts the bloc’s funds or monetary pursuits.

Von der Leyen, nevertheless, mentioned she is open to compromise.

“I’ve at all times been a proponent of dialogue and I’ll at all times be,” she mentioned. “This can be a state of affairs that may and have to be resolved. And we would like a powerful Poland in a united Europe.”

The Polish tribunal majority ruling – in response to a case introduced by Morawiecki – mentioned Poland’s EU membership didn’t give the European Court docket of Justice supreme authorized authority and didn’t imply that Poland had shifted its authorized sovereignty to the EU.

Poland’s prime minister requested for the evaluate after the European Court docket of Justice dominated in March that Poland’s new laws for appointing judges to the Supreme Court docket may violate EU legislation. The ruling obliged Poland’s authorities to discontinue the principles that gave politicians affect over judicial appointments. Thus far, Poland has not complied.

Final month, the European Fee requested the European Court docket of Justice to impose day by day fines on Poland till it improves the functioning of the Polish Supreme Court docket and suspends the legal guidelines that had been deemed to undermine judicial independence.

—-

Raf Casert in Brussels, Vanessa Gera and Monika Scislowska in Warsaw contributed to this story.

Source link

news7h

News7h: Update the world's latest breaking news online of the day, breaking news, politics, society today, international mainstream news .Updated news 24/7: Entertainment, Sports...at the World everyday world. Hot news, images, video clips that are updated quickly and reliably

Related Articles

Back to top button