European Commission issues critical opinion on Poland's rule of law
15:15
The deputy head of the European Commission Frans Timmermans told a news conference that the European Commission has adopted an opinion on Poland's violation of the rule of law.
"As of now, we haven't found a solution to the situation," Timmermans said, adding that the EC is concerned about the composition of the Constitutional Tribunal, unpublished rulings and the amendment to the law passed by the PiS-controlled parliament in December that effectively paralyzed the constitutional court.
The Commission would like to see Polish authorities find a way out of this situation, Timmermans said.
"The government will have a chance to reply to the opinion. We will continue dialogue."
The Vice president of the EC, who traveled to Poland last week in a bid to solve the dispute, said Prime Minister Beata Szydło confirmed the will to continue dialogue. "Despite our joint efforts, we haven't managed to find solutions to main issues at stake," Timmermans admitted.
In a reaction to the EC's decision, Prime Minister Beata Szydło told Fakt newspaper "the opinion is just an opinion, it will have no impact on decisions made in Poland."
Now the Polish government will have two weeks to respond to the opinion. If its reply turns out unsatisfactory, the EC may launch the second stage of the rule of law procedure. It may lead to imposing sanctions on Poland, including suspension of voting rights in the EU Council.
