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Don’t inflame row, Polish finance minister urges top judge

PR dla Zagranicy
Paweł Kononczuk 05.05.2016 15:19
Poland’s finance minister has urged the head of the Constitutional Tribunal to refrain from comments that could inflame an ongoing row over the court until the Moody's agency announces its rating for Poland next week.
Paweł Szałamacha. Paweł Szałamacha. Foto: Finanzministerium

As the news of Finance Minister Paweł Szałamacha’s comments emerged on Thursday, the Polish złoty weakened against both the euro and the dollar, trading at some 4.42 to the euro at around 2pm, its weakest level since February.

In a letter to the Constitutional Tribunal head, judge Andrzej Rzepliński, Szałamacha pointed out that Moody’s is expected to issue its credit rating assessment for Poland on 13 May.

“As you no doubt know, in January this year another rating agency, S&P, downgraded [Poland’s] rating, giving as the basic reason the situation around the institution that you head," Szałamacha said.

“Poland suffered tangible losses from this decision, even though the economic situation and the state of public finances is good.”

Szałamacha added: “Please consider refraining until 13 May from statements which would raise the level" of the row over the Constitutional Tribunal.

Shock for Poland

In January, Standard & Poor's shocked Poland with a credit rating downgrade, a move that sparked anger in Warsaw, with the Polish finance ministry calling the decision “incomprehensible”.

Standard & Poor’s said in a statement the downgrade reflects its view “that Poland’s system of institutional checks and balances has been eroded significantly as the independence and effectiveness of key institutions, such as the constitutional court and public broadcasting, is being weakened by various legislative measures initiated since the October 2015 election” won by the conservative Law and Justice Party.

Meanwhile, Moody’s warned in late January that it could also downgrade Poland’s rating.

Constitutional crisis

Poland is locked in a constitutional crisis that has seen the government in a standoff with the Constitutional Tribunal.

The tribunal on March 9 rejected a series of controversial changes to the way it functions introduced by Law and Justice.

Prime Minister Beata Szydło has refused to officially publish the court's ruling, claiming it is invalid, thus preventing it from being binding.

Poland's constitutional crisis has gone international, with the European Commission carrying out a probe into the rule of law in Poland.

On 11 March, human rights watchdog the Venice Commission urged the Polish government to publish the rulings of the Constitutional Tribunal. (pk)

Source: PAP

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