Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki yesterday accused the EU of “blackmail” in a public clash with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen over his country’s rejection of parts of EU law.
The ferocious row, played out in the European Parliament, underlined the seriousness of the issue, which Brussels and Warsaw say threatens the cohesion of the 27-nation bloc.
Von der Leyen, speaking just before and after Morawiecki took the podium, said that her commission — tasked as guardian of the EU treaties — “will act” to rein in Poland.
Photo: Reuters
She said a controversial Oct. 7 ruling by Poland’s Consitutional Court challenging the primacy of EU law was an attempt “to take an axe to the European treaties by undermining their legitimacy.”
“Undermining any of these essential pillars puts our European democracy at risk. We cannot let this happen. We will not let this happen,” she said.
Von der Leyen spoke of a number of legal, financial and political options being considered, adding that “the rule of law and the treaties of the European Union are to be defended with all instruments at our disposal.”
Photo: Reuters
Morawiecki, in a long speech, hit back by saying: “I will not have EU politicians blackmail Poland.”
Dismissing assertions by members of the European Parliament (MEPs) that Poland had taken a step toward leaving the EU with the ruling, he insisted that his country’s place was firmly in the bloc.
Instead, he said there was a “fundamental misunderstanding” in that EU law derived from its treaties could only be applied in specified areas, and Poland’s constitution was supreme in all other aspects.
He said the rule of law issue was being used as a “pretext” by Brussels to force Poland into line.
The duel in the parliament brought to a head tensions between the European Commission and Warsaw that have been festering for years.
The commission has taken Warsaw to task for moves to scrap judges’ independence and other policies seen as rolling back democratic norms. The EU executive and MEPs have also criticized Poland for ultraconservative social policies pushed by the ruling Law and Justice party that restrict LGBTQ rights and place a near-total ban on abortions.
One of the measures the commission could use against Poland is withholding recovery cash from a pooled EU fund set up for the bloc to bounce back from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Poland’s plan, asking for 24 billion euros (US$28 billion) in grants and 12 billion euros in cheap loans, is still being weighed, with the commission saying approval would come with strings attached.
Von der Leyen hinted that the issue could eventually find its way to the European Court of Justice, adding: “We have never yet lost a court case on rule of law.”
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