On Thursday 16 September, the European Parliament will be asked to vote on the state of judicial independence, media freedom, LGBTIQ rights and women’s rights in Poland in a new resolution.
The elected representatives will have discussed the situation in the country the previous day in plenary, which is still considered worrying by the European Commission, particularly concerning the independence of judges and the reform of the judicial system, which was recently the subject of a request for financial sanctions from the Court of Justice (see EUROPE 12785/1).
However, the resolution, supported by the five main political forces in the European Parliament, expresses broader concerns, including recent laws passed in the country targeting the media.
On this issue, the European Parliament is “deeply concerned about the further deterioration of media freedom in Poland and the various reforms introduced by the ruling coalition to reduce media diversity and critical voices in the media”, the draft text says.
In particular, the Parliament is “deeply concerned about the confirmation of the acquisition of Polska Press Group by a state-controlled oil company, PKN Orlen, even before the conclusion of the Polish Ombudsman’s inquiry”, as well as “the editorial changes made in Polska Press by PKN Orlen’s management ”, despite the appeals lodged. The European Parliament could also condemn the numerous legal actions launched against journalists, lawyers or judges (SLAPP, strategic lawsuit against public participation) to try to intimidate them.
Regarding justice, the European Parliament welcomes the latest actions but regrets that the Commission has not acted more quickly against the erosion of independence. It asked the Commission to launch new infringement proceedings concerning the Supreme Court or the National Council of the Judiciary and reiterated its position on the conditionality of European funds. It has also asked the “ disciplinary chamber, in its current composition, to cease all its activities and cases and to reinstate all judges who have been dismissed”, the draft says.
Finally, it reaffirms “the fundamental nature of the supremacy of EU law as a basic principle of EU law”. It reiterates that the effects of this principle are binding on every Polish entity, including the Constitutional Court. Therefore, the European Parliament calls on the Polish Prime Minister to withdraw all pending actions concerning this principle of supremacy.
Link to the resolution: https://bit.ly/3AcPB9Z (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)