democracy
EU Commission initiates proceedings against Poland
Opposition politician Donald Tusk (2nd from left) takes part in a protest against the policies of the PiS government alongside Poland’s ex-president Lech Walesa (2nd from right) and other demonstrators. photo
© Czarek Sokolowski/AP/dpa
Before the parliamentary elections in Poland, there are doubts about the democratic process in the Eastern European country. One new law in particular is in focus. Now EU politicians are speaking out.
The European Commission is opening a new case against Poland over a controversial law. The decision was made on Wednesday, said the Vice President of the EU Commission, Valdis Dombrovskis, in Brussels.
Specifically, the Polish law is about a commission of inquiry to examine whether public officials made decisions under Russian influence between 2007 and 2022 that damaged the country’s security. Critics fear the law could serve to discredit or even ban opposition politician Donald Tusk from political life ahead of the general election in the fall.
At the end of a so-called infringement procedure, there can be a complaint before the European Court of Justice and a fine. The EU Commission wants to send a letter to Poland with the allegations tomorrow, and Warsaw will then have two months to respond.
Law to determine Russian influence
In its original form, the law provided that the nine-member commission of inquiry could impose penalties and a ban from office of up to ten years. However, after heavy criticism from the EU and the USA, President Andrzej Duda had already proposed changes.
In the new version, the body is only supposed to determine “that a person who has acted under Russian influence cannot guarantee that the public interest is properly fulfilled”.
Critics accuse the national conservative PiS government of wanting to discredit the former head of government and current opposition leader Tusk before the parliamentary elections in autumn. The liberal conservative Tusk was the head of the Polish government from 2007 to 2014 and later the president of the EU. The PiS government accuses him of having concluded unfavorable gas contracts with Russia. Tusk is considered the biggest political opponent of PiS boss Jaroslaw Kaczynski.