Rule of law: Poland in a tight spot
The EU is cranking up the pressure on Poland over the rule of law. On Wednesday Brussels launched an infringement procedure against the country over the government's new law on Russian influence. Shortly before that the European Court of Justice ruled that Poland's 2019 judicial reform violated EU law on judges' independence and privacy rights.
The EU has changed
The pro-PiS news website wPolityce complains:
“The EU we joined no longer exists. It has changed completely. And today - let's face it - it is behaving ever more brutally. It is becoming increasingly difficult to hope that with a good dose of self-deception, concessions, compromises and goodwill a head-on collision can be avoided. And that is not the fault of independent Poland.”
Warsaw understands one language only
The ECJ's ruling is another defeat for the PiS government and one which will cost it dearly, the Frankfurter Rundschau comments:
“For years the PiS government refused to hear the arguments against dismantling democracy put forward by EU officials. Now it must face the consequences. The EU should not only demand the penalty for dismantling the independence of judges, it must continue to withhold the billions in Covid aid provided under the Recovery Plan for Europe. This seems to be the only language Warsaw understands. It must learn that the EU is not only a donor but also has values and rules to which its members must adhere.”