English
Attempts to censure Poland’s new ultra-conservative government were in disarray on Monday after senior EU figures ended up in open disagreement over how to respond.
Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, publicly criticised the European Commission’s decision to launch an investigation into the country.
Mr Tusk said he was “not very enthusiastic” about the move by Jean-Claude Juncker’s office to place the country under review.
In an unprecendented move, the European Commission has launched an investigation into whether new media laws and reforms of the constitutional court by the Right-wing Law and Justice government are a threat to democracy. The process could ultimately result in Poland’s voting rights being suspended.
“I can imagine this goal could be achieved by other methods, not necessarily triggering this procedure,” said Mr Tusk, a former Polish prime minister. He insisted he would not allow the issue to be debated in the European Council – effectively blocking the ‘nuclear option’ of suspending voting rights.
The move has resulted in a vitriolic and nationalistic row, including Polish newspapers depicting EU leaders as Nazi officers meddling in Poland’s internal affairs.
Meeting in Brussels, Mr Tusk told Andrezj Duda, the Polish president, to put an end to a “hysterical” reaction, show “restraint” and warned the affair had “shaken” Poland’s hard-earned reputation.
Appealing for calm, he also warned Poles to abandon any “conspiracy theories” about Brussels’ plans for Poland, saying that some 3,000 Polish “patriots” are employed in the EU institutions.
Mr Tusk is a veteran of the Solidarity movement that broke Soviet control from Poland, and, using analogies from the Star Wars films, he urged Poland not to throw away the reforms made in 25 years.
“The Western democracy model contains some limitations to the executive power,” he said. “We need to protect this historical event which was us joining the bright side.”
Mr Duda said the reforms – which include the right to fire public media bosses and the appointment of new judges – are “nothing exceptional” and simply the product of a change of government.
However, the opened a new rift with Brussels on migration – saying refugees should be allowed to go wherever they like.
Migrants fleeing Syria should “have the choice of country of destination and enjoy the freedom of movement”, Mr Duda said.
That flies in the face of the EU’s plan to redistribute migrants around the bloc by mandatory quotas, which Mr Juncker wants to make permanent.
On Friday, Mr Juncker blamed the refugees for “rather arrogantly” thinking they can choose where to go on arriving in Europe, with most determined to reach Germany and highly resistant to being sent to the poor east.
SOurce: www.telegraph.co.uk