European Parliament adopts resolution on Poland

The European Parliament passed a non-binding resolution by 513 votes to 142 with 30 abstentions which calls on the Polish authorities to fully implement the Venice Commission recommendations on the ability of Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal to uphold its Constitution and guarantee respect for the rule of law. MEPs said that actions taken by the Polish government and the President of the Republic of Poland have led to the effective paralysis of the Constitutional Tribunal which poses a danger to democracy, human rights and the rule of law. They urged the Polish authorities to publish and implement the rulings of the Constitutional Tribunal without further delay in line with the recommendations of the Council of Europe's Venice Commission. The resolution said that the European Parliament supports the European Commission’s efforts to find a way out of the current situation through a dialogue with Poland's authorities. However, if the Polish government fails to comply with the recommendations, MEPs want the European Commission to activate the second stage of the procedure under the "framework for addressing systemic threats to the rule of law", initiated on 13 January. The resolution wraps up a plenary debate held in January after the European Commission decided to start an inquiry under the Rule of Law framework into reforms of the Polish Constitutional Court.