Share :

Download PDF :

Politico (7 February 2023)

Wojciech Kosc

Years of bitter battles between Poland and the EU over allegations that the country’s nationalist government hobbled the independence of its courts — which is holding up billions in EU funds — come to a head this week.

The Polish parliament is due to take a final vote on a bill that rolls back some of those reforms, aimed at meeting “milestones” set out by the European Commission to release €36 billion in grants and loans from its pandemic recovery fund that have been held up over worries that Poland is backsliding on the bloc’s rule of law principles.

The lower house of parliament, the Sejm, moved into action on Monday, with the justice and human rights committee stripping out all 14 amendments added to the bill by the opposition-controlled Senate. The full Sejm, which is narrowly controlled by the ruling United Right coalition, is expected to vote on the full bill by Wednesday. It would then go for a signature to President Andrzej Duda.

Click for more