Poland hits back at Commission’s statements on judicial independence

Brussels – Warsaw tensions have escalated dramatically, after Poland accused the European Union on Saturday of “double standards” when questioning the independency of the country’s Constitutional Tribunal.
The move came after the EU’s Executive body’s spokesperson for Rule of Law Christian Wigand said on Friday that the Commission was “highly concerned” over the new court rules.
The country’s Deputy Foreign Minister Paweł Jabłoński called the Commission’s position “a very serious inconsistency,” and referred to a 2017 Commission recommendation calling on Polish authorities to “refrain from actions and public statements which could further undermine the legitimacy of the judiciary.”
Legal conflict intensified on Thursday, when Polish lawmakers passed a law that allows the dismissal of judges if they make rulings that the government doesn’t agree with. On Friday, the Commission asked from the European Court of Justice (CJEU) to freeze Poland’s new law.
In an effort to reopen bilateral dialogue, EU’s Vice President for Values and Transparency Věra Jourová travelled to Warsaw on Tuesday to meet with parliament and justice officials.