(Vatican Radio) Poland's prime minister has condemned the European Union for looking into the country's recently adopted constitutional court and media legislation which the EU's executive, the European Commission, says may be a threat to democracy and the rule of law. Beata Szydlo told the European Parliament that the changes are an internal matter.Listen to Stefan Bos' report: The visible upset Szydlo said that the EU spending too much time on perceived problems in Warsaw.Poland has come under strong international criticism since the right-wing Law and Justice took power in November and moved swiftly to increase its influence over the the nation's constitutional court known as the Constitutional Tribunal.It has attempted to appoint its own judges to the top court while requiring a two-third majority for contentious Tribunal rulings. Media lawAdditionally the government can now appoint and dismiss executives in charge of television and r...
(Vatican Radio) Poland's prime minister has condemned the European Union for looking into the country's recently adopted constitutional court and media legislation which the EU's executive, the European Commission, says may be a threat to democracy and the rule of law. Beata Szydlo told the European Parliament that the changes are an internal matter.
Listen to Stefan Bos' report:
The visible upset Szydlo said that the EU spending too much time on perceived problems in Warsaw.
Poland has come under strong international criticism since the right-wing Law and Justice took power in November and moved swiftly to increase its influence over the the nation's constitutional court known as the Constitutional Tribunal.
It has attempted to appoint its own judges to the top court while requiring a two-third majority for contentious Tribunal rulings.
Media law
Additionally the government can now appoint and dismiss executives in charge of television and radio broadcasters, a move that has been condemned by human rights and media watchdogs as undermining media freedom.
The European Commission announced a probe that potentially could see Poland lose its voting rights in EU institutions citing concerns that the legislation violates the EU's rule of law regulations.
However Prime Minister Szydlo denied wrongdoing saying: "Sometimes in Poland, we hear voices; voices that hurt, voices which are unfair, that are unjust to Poland and the Polish government. It is possible that these voices speak out of a lack of information, or possibly even bad will.”
Yet, European Parliamentarian Rebecca Harms, of the German Greens, disagrees. "You have taken decisions overnight that are usually discussed at length," with the opposition, she said.
Council of Europe
Poland has asked the Council of Europe to investigate its reforms.
Though the intergovernmental organisation is separate from EU institutions, it promotes human rights, democracy, and the rule of law in its 47 member states,explained Council of Europe spokesman Daniel Höltgen.
"Usually what happens that is that the country enters into a dialogue and that if changes are recommended, it will have to take those recommendations on board," he added.
The EU's possible actions against Poland comes amid wider concerns over an alleged crackdown in Eastern Europe after rights watchers said Hungary took similar steps.
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