The European Parliament held a debate “The crisis of the rule of law in Poland and the primacy of EU law”, during which the head of the Polish government, Mateusz Morawiecki, spoke. The European media writes about the events in Strasbourg. “The Polish prime minister accuses the ‘centralized’ European Union”, points out “El Pais”. “The Polish government is increasingly arguing with the Union,” notes the BBC. “Morawiecki’s attitude to the European Union is a risk of polexit,” warns Les Echos.
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A debate was held in the European Parliament on Tuesday in connection with the judgment of the Constitutional Tribunal on the supremacy of the constitution over EU law. Among other things, they spoke the head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.
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“El Pais”: the Polish Prime Minister accuses the “centralized” European Union
Even before the Tuesday debate, the prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki wrote a letter to heads of state and to the presidents of the three main European institutions. He described the prime minister’s actions “El Pais” as “the continuation of the long road towards the abyss.”
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The Spanish daily explains that in the letter the prime minister “warns against an alleged ‘very dangerous’ drive towards a ‘centralized’ European Union”. “The words of the Polish leader, filled with anti-European rhetoric, fall in a critical week in which a significant part of the European debate still revolves around a recalcitrant partner from the East,” stressed journalists.
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BBC: the Polish government is increasingly arguing with the Union
“Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki in a heated debate with the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, on the subject of the rule of law in Poland, accused the European Union of blackmail,” writes the BBC. He describes the debate in the European Parliament as “clashes”.
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“Von der Leyen said she would act to prevent Poland from undermining the values of the European Union,” reported the British broadcaster. “In response, Morawiecki rejected the ‘language of threats’ and accused the European Union of exceeding its powers” – he pointed out.
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Ursula von der LeyenFrederic MARVAUX / EU
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The BBC emphasizes that Poles strongly support membership of the European Union, “but the right-wing nationalist government in Poland is increasingly arguing with the EU on issues ranging from LGBT rights to the independence of the judiciary.” “The latest row led to an unprecedented and controversial ruling by the Polish Constitutional Tribunal, which in effect rejected the basic principle of the primacy of EU law over national legislation,” it was stated.
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In her analysis, BBC Brussels correspondent Jessica Parker notes that “it is important to consider whether so-called polexit is possible”. “There seem to be two very different legal, political and cultural perspectives on a collision course,” she stressed.
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“Le Monde”: the union is waiting for a “clear signal” from Warsaw
“The Polish prime minister denounced the European Union in Strasbourg and ‘blackmailing’ his country in terms of the rule of law, when the Polish reconstruction plan is frozen by Brussels,” Le Monde reported. The French daily noted that the EU justice commissioner Didier Reynders, when asked about the Polish stimulus plan, said that “the EU executive is waiting for a ‘clear signal’ from Warsaw on judicial reforms.”
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Mateusz Morawiecki in the European ParliamentKPRM / Krystian Maj
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“Le Monde” emphasizes that “Poland has been in open conflict with Brussels for several years” in connection with the controversial reform of the judiciary implemented by the “right-wing populist PiS party”.
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“Les Echos”: Morawiecki’s attitude to the European Union threatens with polexit
The French economic daily Les Echos writes that the president of the European Commission is preparing “sanctions against Warsaw”. “Stiffened, with a stern face, Mateusz Morawiecki read his speech without the slightest passion, but he expressed himself very clearly” – noted journalists.
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“The ultraconservative leader confirmed that, contrary to some rumors of a possible polexit, ‘Poland is and will remain in the European Union’ and asked its partners to ‘respect the diversity’ of governments in Europe,” Les Echos reported.
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The French daily noted that “most of the political groups that spoke after the prime minister emphasized, however, that his attitude towards the European Union posed a polexitem.” He recalled the statement by Manfred Weber, who stressed that “if you deny the primacy of European law, it is almost as if you left the EU”.
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The opinion of the leader of the faction of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, Iratxe Garcia Perez, who said that “the government has followed the path of authoritarianism and the problem of the Polish government is democracy and the rule of law” was also recalled.
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“Deutsche Welle”: representatives of most factions strongly criticized Morawiecki
The German “Deutsche Welle” admitted that Mateusz Morawiecki “repeated the vague announcement” of the liquidation of the Disciplinary Chamber. Ursula von der Leyen recalled that “the requirement for spending money from the Reconstruction Fund is to protect the independent judiciary”. “Ursula von der Leyen has made it clear again that she intends to quickly reach for the ‘money for the rule of law’ rule, as called for by the main factions in the European Parliament today,” he said.
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Ursula von der Leyen, Mateusz MorawieckiFrederic MARVAUX / EU
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“Representatives of the vast majority of the factions sharply criticized Morawiecki,” notes Deutsche Welle. He admits that Morawiecki was defended by the leper Nicolas Bay on behalf of the “Identity and Democracy” faction. “The French emphasized that it was in the French legal doctrine that the concept of ‘constitutional identity’ was created, which is the basis for setting limits to the actions of EU institutions in the name of the sovereign powers of its member states” – informs the German daily
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“Sueddeutsche Zeitung”: Warsaw escalates the dispute with Brussels
“The Polish government has the rare gift of combining wrong decisions and improper timing of their implementation into the greatest possible catastrophe. This time Prime Minister Morawiecki ignored all warnings and entered the European Parliament with a burning torch” – assessed the Sueddeutsche Zeitung. “Warsaw does not want to accept the primacy of European law any longer and escalates the dispute with Brussels,” she added.
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“There are many reasons why Morawiecki is pushed to commit an act of destruction. In Poland, like in Hungary, he has become a victim of his own propaganda, and the constant therapeutic talks with Germany and other countries do not work anymore” – comments Stefan Kornelius, journalist “SZ” .
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