Tuesday

28th Mar 2023

Poland rebukes ‘left-wing’ EU commission

  • Ziobro: 'I deplore your … unjustified accusations and unfair conclusions' (Photo: europarl.europa.eu)

Poland has accused the Dutch EU commissioner, Frans Timmermans, of "left-wing" bias and "astonishing" ignorance in trying to “exert pressure” on constitutional reform.

If Timmermans had expected a conciliatory reply, on technical issues, after he asked the Polish justice minister, Zbigniew Ziobro, in December to explain the reforms, then he would have been surprised on Monday evening (11 January).

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Become an expert on Europe

Get instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

  • Timmermans: Had asked Poland to halt constitutional law, pending clarification (Photo: europarl.europa.eu)

Ziobro said in his letter that he’s “astonished” by Timmermans’ “lack of knowledge about the factual developments”.

“I deplore your … unjustified accusations and unfair conclusions,” he said.

“May I ask you to exercise more restraint in instructing and cautioning the parliament and government of a sovereign and democratic state in the future, despite the ideological differences that may exist between us, with you being of a left-wing persuasion,” he added, referring to Timmermans’ past in the centre-left Labour Party.

The exchange of letters comes after the right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party, which won the Polish elections in October, hurried through changes to the country’s constitutional tribunal.

It removed five judges nominated during the former, Civic Platform (PO) party-led government and installed its own people.

It also raised the threshold and quorum for the tribunal to issue verdicts, making it harder to vet future legislation.

Ziobro said the changes are needed because the PO, in its term in office, had “tried to monopolise the court” with its loyalists.

He said the PO “hurriedly” appointed five new judges just before the October elections, depriving the new parliament of the chance to do so.

“These disgraceful activities … regrettably failed to attract your attention at that time,” he told Timmermans.

He said PiS’ actions are designed to “reinstate pluralism” in the constiutional tribunal.

He added that the head of the top court, Andrzej Rzeplinski, who is meant to be neutral, openly “declares himself to be a supporter of the Civic Platform” and “acts as a politician” due to his “political ambitions”.

Ziobro’s letter arrived shortly before the commission holds a debate on Poland on Wednesday.

A commission spokesman, Margaritis Schinas, said on Tuesday that Timmermans is “analysing” what Ziobro said, as well as a previous Polish letter on overhaul of state media.

Some commissioners, such as Germany’s Guenther Oettinger, have said Poland should be placed under a supervisory mechanism, which could lead to EU sanctions.

But Schinas hit a softer note, saying Poland has, "exactly as requested by vice-president Timmermans", entered into a dialogue with the Venice Commission, a constitutional advisory body in the Council of Europe in Strasbourg.

For its part, Rzeplisnki’s tribunal will, on Tuesday, issue its own verdict on the legality of the PiS reforms.

It will do so under its old composition and quorum.

But the government has said it won’t recognise its decision or print it in the country’s official gazette.

The situation means that Poland, a country of 40 million people, could, the same day, enter into judicial limbo: It’s top court won’t be able to issue binding verdicts, while refusing to make changes to go back to business as usual.

MEPs will also hold a debate on Poland in Strasbourg next week, with Polish prime minister Beata Szydlo saying on Tuesday that she’ll attend.

What does EU scrutiny of Poland mean?

The EU Commission will discuss on Wednesday the state of play in Poland, and might launch a monitoring procedure against Warsaw. But what does this procedure mean, and does it matter?

EUobserved

How to build an illiberal democracy in the EU

With Brussels increasingly worried by Poland, we take a look how Hungary's Viktor Orban created a template for dismantling democratic checks and balances inside an EU state.

EU commission puts Poland on the hook

The EU commission has triggered rule-of-law monitoring of Poland, in an unprecedented step, prompted by constitutional and media reforms. The move follows a nasty exchange of letters.

Opinion

Why can't we stop marches glorifying Nazism on EU streets?

Every year, neo-Nazis come together to pay tribute to Nazi war criminals and their collaborators, from Benito Mussolini to Rudolf Hess, Ante Pavelić, Hristo Lukov, and of course Adolf Hitler, in events that have become rituals on the extreme-right calendar.

Latest News

  1. Biden's 'democracy summit' poses questions for EU identity
  2. Finnish elections and Hungary's Nato vote in focus This WEEK
  3. EU's new critical raw materials act could be a recipe for conflict
  4. Okay, alright, AI might be useful after all
  5. Von der Leyen pledges to help return Ukrainian children
  6. EU leaders agree 1m artillery shells for Ukraine
  7. Polish abortion rights activist vows to appeal case
  8. How German business interests have shaped EU climate agenda

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersNordic and Baltic ways to prevent gender-based violence
  2. Nordic Council of MinistersCSW67: Economic gender equality now! Nordic ways to close the pension gap
  3. Nordic Council of MinistersCSW67: Pushing back the push-back - Nordic solutions to online gender-based violence
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersCSW67: The Nordics are ready to push for gender equality
  5. Promote UkraineInvitation to the National Demonstration in solidarity with Ukraine on 25.02.2023
  6. Azerbaijan Embassy9th Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council Ministerial Meeting and 1st Green Energy Advisory Council Ministerial Meeting

Join EUobserver

Support quality EU news

Join us