Commission must protect the independence of Polish judiciary - Hoofdinhoud

ALDE considers the latest developments in Poland serious, given that effectively all parts of the judiciary are now under political control, including the Constitutional Tribunal. According to the government's latest legislation, 32 out of the 81 Supreme Court judges currently in office will be forced to resign, drastically changing its structure and composition.

Liberals and Democrats in the European Parliament urge the Commission to launch an infringement procedure against the Polish Government on the Supreme Court law and to send it to the Court of Justice requesting an interim measure to stop these forceful resignations. Equally importantly, the Council should also finally assume its political responsibility. The General Affairs Council scheduled for 26 June must discuss the issue in detail and proceed with Article 7. No backdoor compromise should let the Polish government get away with undermining the rule of law and infringing fundamental rights.

Sophie in 't Veld, ALDE Group First Vice President commented:

"If the Commission does not act now, the Polish people will wake up to find the impartial judges of their high court replaced with political appointees, as was done previously with the Constitutional Tribunal. In order to avoid this, the ECJ must be allowed to assess the compliance of the Supreme Court law with EU law. This is crucial as political control over the judiciary in one Member State affects the functioning of the EU as a whole."