The European Union has officially warned Poland it will impose sanctions after finding its rightwing government amiss on the rule of law. To avoid further friction, the Polish government must roll back its overhaul of the top Polish court, which critics argue endangers its independence
EU Commissioner Frans Timmermans said the EU Commission has adopted an opinion criticizing Poland's government for its actions relating to the Constitutional Tribunal which have paralyzed the key court.
“We have decided to send a rule-of-law opinion to the Polish authorities” European Commission First Vice President Frans Timmermans told a press conference.
“Despite our best efforts we have not been able to find a solution to the main issues that concern us” Timmermans said following five months of talks with the Polish government.
This means that EU leaders have found negotiations with Warsaw unsatisfactory and it brings the stand-off closer to sanctions for Warsaw.
In January, the commission opened a multi-step procedure checking whether Poland respects the rule of law. The opinion, which the commission defines as a “warning” to a member state, is an unprecedented step. It could potentially lead to stripping Poland of its EU voting rights.