Poland suspends forced retirement of judges
The controversial forced retirement of Poland's most senior judges is to be revoked. The national-conservative PiS government has presented a draft law in parliament to that effect. In October the European Court of Justice had ordered an end to the forced retirements. Is the PiS's grip on power starting to loosen?
Just a minor setback for the government
It's annoying but no great tragedy that the government must now follow the ECJ's ruling, the pro-government website wPolityce.pl comments:
“This step could have been taken earlier, because the ECJ's ruling was only to be expected. On the other hand the court has at least shown how things stand in the EU and that it has little sympathy for the government in Warsaw, to put it mildly. ... Let's not forget that our government has gained much from this battle and has been able to push through numerous changes. This struggle was difficult and challenging. It must save its strength for the coming months, because a series of elections are on the way.”
PiS's power on the wane
The days of a strong PiS government are numbered, Gazeta Wyborcza counters:
“It is backing down before the EU destroys the PiS's image as an unyielding party that stands up to the enemies in Brussels, the Polish 'judicial caste' and the ECJ. ... The case of the Supreme Court - combined with other disasters - doesn't highlight the PiS's cunning but rather its weaknesses. Particularly now when judiciary and legal circles are asking questions about their independence and drawing strength and a will to resist from the whole affair.”