EC vice president visits Warsaw over constitutional crisis

The vice president of the European Commission, Frans Timmermans said in Warsaw that a starting point for working out a solution to the constitutional crisis is the publication of the ruling of the Constitutional Tribunal. Timmermans's visit to Poland is the consequence of the rule of law procedure launched against Poland due to changes to the top constitutional court, introduced by the ruling party, which paralyzed the body, according to the opposition and the Council of Europe's Venice Commission. Timmermans said that the European Commission will do whatever it can to back the dialogue and to stimulate finding a solution to the problem.  He admitted that the EC may not take further steps in the rule of law procedure. "I did get the feeling today that there is room for dialogue and room for finding a solution (to the crisis) without the European Commission having to take any further steps," Timmermans told a news conference. The vice president of the EC met with Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski, and Andrzej Rzepliński, head of the constitutional tribunal. He will be back in Poland in two weeks.