Friday
August 26, 2022
The European Commission says nothing has replaced it in its dispute over the rule of law with Poland after Warsaw threatened its “cannons” opposed to the Brussels executive.
Poland will get 35 billion euros in grants and loans for covid-19 recovery because its judicial reforms remain insufficient, European Commission spokeswoman Arianna Podesta told reporters in Brussels on Tuesday (Aug. 9).
Short-term commitment
Better for money, save 34%
Student or retiree? Then this plan is for you.
Our news and surveys. Researcher. influential. Independent.
Watch our founder Lisbeth Kirk for the reasons in this 30-second video.
Enter here.
Poland has approved updating its disputed disciplinary chamber of judges with a new body.
But the commission says that’s not enough and notes that judges remain at risk.
“Poland will have to respect the commitments it has made to reform the disciplinary regime,” Podesta said, adding that Poland had also not requested any payment to discharge the funds.
The statements are an avalanche of threats from the right-wing ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party.
PiS President Jarosław Kaczyński and Secretary General Krzysztof Sobolewski escalated the dispute in comments made within days.
Kaczyński claimed that the European Commission had damaged the agreements with the Polish government and that Warsaw would no longer fulfill its obligations to the European Union, without giving the main points of what it meant.
“If the European Commission fulfills its obligations to Poland, we have no explanation as to why to comply with our obligations to the EU,” he said.
He also claimed that this resolution is a German-led plot to create a weak and submissive Poland.
Similar comments were made through Sobolewski, who said Warsaw would take legal action against the commission.
He also said efforts would be made to overthrow Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and her school of commissioners.
“If there is an attempt to block the payment . . . and let the European Commission put pressure on us, then we have no option yet to get all the weapons out of our arsenal and respond with a barrage of fire,” he told the Polish audience.
Polish opposition leaders say such threats must be taken seriously.
Grzegorz Schetyna of the Opposition Civic Platform describes Kaczyński as a “symbol of madness and decadence. “
For its part, the European Commission declined to comment on the threats.
, your club gives you access to all our stories. We very much appreciate your comments. If you have any concepts about this story, we’d love to hear it.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is expected to travel to Warsaw on Thursday to announce the resolution, which comes after a year-long debate on unlocking investment for Covid-19 recovery.
The Commission will need 3 weeks to update the rules on suspending the EU budget to Member States that violate the rules.
The EU’s own report acknowledges positive developments in some Member States, but criticises Poland and Hungary, as well as mockery against Slovenia, Malta, Greece, Ireland and Spain, among others.
Greece was embroiled in a wiretapping scandal that led to the resignation of its intelligence leader as well as the Greek prime minister’s most sensible aide.
Viktor Orbán delivered the keynote address at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Dallas, Texas, where he greeted with a “heroic welcome. “
The EU court in Luxembourg rejected Russia’s ban on propaganda media that Russia Today imposed after the invasion of Ukraine.
The EU’s own report acknowledges positive developments in some Member States, but criticises Poland and Hungary, as well as mockery against Slovenia, Malta, Greece, Ireland and Spain, among others.
An organisation of multi-party MEPs has put forward a legal proposal suggesting that the European Commission freeze the entire EU budget earmarked for Hungary, due to persistent rule of law issues.