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European Parliament to debate Poland - again

PR dla Zagranicy
Paweł Kononczuk 09.12.2016 07:35
The European Parliament is next Tuesday to hold its third debate about Poland amid concerns about the state of democracy in the country.
The European Parliament. Photo: Flickr.com/European ParliamentThe European Parliament. Photo: Flickr.com/European Parliament

After coming to power late last year, the ruling, conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party introduced sweeping changes, including to the judiciary, which triggered a political deadlock over the country’s constitutional court.

Critics of the government argue its reforms have eroded democracy and rights in Poland, a charge PiS has fiercely rejected.

Tuesday’s debate, after which no resolution is planned, will begin with the European Commission presenting a review of developments in Poland.

In January, the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, announced it was starting a "rule-of-law" probe into whether controversial laws pushed through by Law and Justice violate EU standards.

The process could in theory eventually lead to the EU imposing penalties on Warsaw, but any such move would have to be backed unanimously by EU member states. Hungary has already said it would not support sanctions.

Law and Justice (PiS) supporters have criticised the decision to hold the latest European Parliament debate on 13 December, the 35th anniversary of the declaration of martial law by Poland's former communist regime.

Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydło in September slammed a decision to hold an earlier debate in the European Parliament about a bid to ban abortion in her country.

Szydło said the decision showed that the European Parliament is losing its credibility, that the EU treaty needs to be changed and the bloc needs to be reformed.

(pk)

Source: PAP/IAR

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