EU and Waszczykowski butting heads again

Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski accused the European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans of being biased against Poland. In return, the EC spokesman said, that Waszczykowski doesn't know how the European Commission operates. “There are no tensions between Poland and the European Union. There are no tensions between Poland and the Commission. There are tensions between Poland and one commissioner [Timmermans]” Waszczykowski said to Politico. Commenting on this, Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas said it regretted “that a government minister does not understand the Commission's role, structure and competencies. The Commission is the guardian of the treaties, of common interests of the 28 member states, and of the rule of law.” In January last year, the Commission launched a rule-of-law probe into whether laws regarding appointing judges in Poland's top court, the Constitutional Tribunal were violating EU standards. The Polish government claims that changes were made in accordance with the law and have improved Polish judicial system.