The EU said on Monday it will drop proceedings against launched six years ago over concerns that judicial reforms posed a risk to the rule of law in the country.
According to EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the Commission no longer believes there is a risk to the rule of law in Poland, after the new centrist government in Warsaw launched a series of legislative and non-legislative measures to address concerns about the independence of the justice system.
“Today marks the opening of a new chapter for Poland,” von der Leyen said in a post on X.
What were the EU’s concerns based on?
Poland’s conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party, which headed the government for eight years, carried out a sweeping overhaul of the judiciary, which the EU said undermined democratic checks and balances and brought the courts under political influence.
In response, the EU began so-called “Article 7” procedures, which can suspend certain rights of a member state if it is persistently considered to breach the EU’s founding values.
The European Commission also held back billions of euros in funds earmarked for Poland.
However, the situation changed after the PiS to a coalition led by former and current Prime Minister Donald Tusk, a pro-EU liberal, who vowed to mend relations with Brussels.
In February, the European Union to “restore the rule of law” and dismantle the policies of the former nationalist government.
The draft decision on Monday said that Poland has “recognized the primacy of EU law” and is committed to implementing European court judgements concerning the rule of law.
dh/wmr (dpa, AFP, Reuters)
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