There is no basis for Poland to be penalised: Polish Foreign Minister

Dialogue over the Constitutional Tribunal is ongoing, so there is still no reason for Poland to be penalised, Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski said on Monday.

Poland is in the crosshairs of the European Commission regarding an ongoing conflict over the Tribunal. Waszczykowski was asked by the TVN broadcaster to comment on reports that the European Commission on Wednesday might adopt an opinion on the rule of law in Poland.

The Polish Foreign Minister also referred to an earlier interview by Jarosław Kaczyński, the head of the governing Law and Justice (PiS) party, who told the Do Rzeczy weekly that if “push comes to shove” the Polish government could challenge the European Commission’s report on the rule of law in the country to the European Court of Justice.

Poles’ concern over political situation on the rise

Asked on Monday whether the EC was likely to pass such a report, the Minister said: “We hope that the Commission will take some time to reflect [upon its actions] and halt this procedure.” Reports over the weekend said that the decision to prepare a report on Poland,‭ ‬including on the ongoing crisis over its Constitutional Tribunal,‭ ‬was taken in a vote by representatives of‭ ‬46‭ ‬parliaments of Council of Europe member countries,‭ ‬meeting in the Estonian capital,‭ ‬Tallinn.

Poland braced for EU Commission opinion amid row

The report is to be drawn up by the monitoring committee of the‭ ‬Parliamentary‭ ‬Assembly.‭ ‬Two‭ ‬rapporteurs‭ ‬– from different‭ ‬political‭ ‬factions‭ ‬– are to be appointed in June. In January,‭ ‬the European Commission said it was starting a‭ “‬rule-of-law‭” ‬probe into whether controversial laws pushed through by‭ ‬the‭ ‬Law and Justice‭ ‬party‭ ‬violate EU standards.