Polish opposition defends current constitution

“It's really not the best idea to change the constitution every twenty years, under political pressure,” said Civic Platform MP Marcin Kierwiński, in an interview with Polish Radio on Wednesday.

President Duda, who belonged to Law and Justice (PiS) prior to his election in May 2015, described the current constitution on Tuesday as “transitional.”

His statement, made on Constitution Day, echoed that of chairman of the Law and Justice party Jarosław Kaczyński, who made a long speech in the lower house of parliament on Monday.

The 1997 constitution was introduced eight years after the dismantling of the communist system.

Meanwhile, Kierwiński has hit out at Law and Justice with regards to the current constitutional crisis with Poland's judiciary.

“We are in the midst of a full frontal attack by Law and Justice on the Polish legal system, on the courts,” he said.

“It's really not a good time to change the constitution - especially as PiS has not said in any way how it envisages this constitution to be.”

On 9 March, the Constitutional Tribunal rejected a package of reforms that would have changed how it functioned, ruling against legislation voted through parliament by the Law and Justice majority.

Prime Minister Szydło then declined to publish the court's ruling, thus preventing it from being binding.

Last week, Poland's Supreme Court adopted a resolution stating that the tribunal's rulings should be respected, even if not published by the prime minister. (nh/pk)