BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union on Wednesday escalated its standoff with Poland over the rule of law under the new government, deciding to open a case over legislation on the constitutional court and media that has been criticized as running counter to the bloc’s fundamental principles.
EU Commissioner Frans Timmermans said his executive will carry out a preliminary assessment — the first step in a drawn-out procedure that could ultimately lead to suspending Polish voting rights in the 28-nation bloc.
Timmermans said he wanted specific explanations about changes in procedures at the constitutional tribunal “which could potentially limit the leeway for action in the court and increase political influence on the workings of the tribunals.”
The debate is seen in Poland as undue meddling in national affairs and in Brussels as a potential danger that democratic standards may be slipping.
“Poland is an extremely important member state,” Timmermans said, but he has insisted that it also is up to the EU to make sure that the fundamentals of the bloc are respected throughout the EU.
Poland’s Deputy Foreign Minister Konrad Szymanski said in Brussels that criticism of Poland was “beyond proportions,” while the EU Commission risked being “perceived as not impartial.”
The Polish government said Timmermans has already been invited to Warsaw for talks on the Polish laws.
In December, Poland’s ruling Law and Justice party, which has a parliamentary majority, took steps to gain influence in the constitutional tribunal, which is supposed to be an independent arbiter with the power to block the government’s legislation. It is currently dominated by judges linked to the opposition.
In addition, Poland’s president signed a law last week that heads toward giving the government full control of state radio and television, a move critics also see as undermining a cornerstone of democracy.
Even before Wednesday’s announcement, the Polish government has criticized the EU and some of its leaders for wading into Polish affairs.
“In the future, please have more restraint in instructing and reprimanding the parliament and the government of a sovereign, democratic country,” Polish Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro wrote to Timmermans, a socialist. “Even if you, Sir — as a representative of the left wing — differ with us in ideology,” Ziobro added.
On Wednesday, Timmermans said that “regardless of the tone of the letter, it is clear they want to have a discussion with us.”
The EU has had similar issues with Hungary, and Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a reluctant and recalcitrant member on many EU issues, has stressed his support for Poland.
The EU has never had to move toward suspending the voting rights of a member state. The threat of such a measure and the long procedure “worked in the case of Orban’s overreach in Hungary,” said Guy Verhofstadt, the leader of the ALDE liberall group in Parliament. And he called on Timmermans to “do the same before the situation in Warsaw gets out of control.”
___
Scislowska reported from Warsaw
___
Follow Raf Casert on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/rcasert
