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Polish MPs adopt resolution on defending Poland's sovereignty

PR dla Zagranicy
Alicja Baczyńska 21.05.2016 10:54
On Friday, right-wing Law and Justice and Kukiz'15 parliamentarians voted in a resolution asserting Poland's autonomy.
Two hundred and fifty-seven MPs voted on a resolution on Poland's sovereignty in Parliament on Friday, 20 May. Photo: PAP/Jacek Turczyk Two hundred and fifty-seven MPs voted on a resolution on Poland's sovereignty in Parliament on Friday, 20 May. Photo: PAP/Jacek Turczyk

The document calls on the government to "defy all actions infringing" the country's sovereignty and points the blaming finger at Brussels.

The resolution comes three days ahead of a European Commission deadline for Poland to remedy the ongoing crisis in the Constitutional Tribunal. If no such steps are taken, the EC has warned it would release an opinion on Poland's rule of law on Monday.

"In line with the Constitution, the Republic of Poland is a sovereign, democratic state under the rule of law," the adopted resolution states. "The country has recently faced threats to its autonomy, which undermine the rules of democracy, law and social peace."

The document also targeted the EU's "attempts to impose on Poland decisions on migrants arriving in Europe. These decisions have no basis in European law and go against the sovereignty of [the Polish] nation and European values."

A vote on the resolution, which followed a fierce debate in Parliament, was shunned by a large part of the opposition.

The document is "a show of incredible weakness", commented former secretary for European Affairs, Civic Platform MP Rafał Trzaskowski. "Can you imagine any Parliament, say, in Britain, Germany or France, resorting to such a resolution?" he asked. "Sovereignty is a matter of action not words."

The European Commission launched a probe in January to determine whether the rule of law in Poland was under threat, after the Law and Justice-dominated Parliament adopted sweeping changes to the country's top court. Ruled unconstitutional by the tribunal, the legislation was upheld by the government.

The ongoing controversy over the Constitutional Court began after the previous Civic Platform government sealed five judicial appointments to the tribunal before handing over power to Law and Justice last October. While two of the appointments were later declared illegal, the ruling party revoked all the five judges and put forward their own candidates, swiftly sworn in by President Andrzej Duda. (aba)

Source: IAR, PAP

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