Warsaw’s long-running confrontation with Brussels escalated yesterday when Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal ruled that the country’s constitution takes precedence over some EU laws

This morning

Via Politco:

French European Affairs Minister Clément Beaune has blasted Poland’s controversial court ruling, which states that the Polish constitution takes precedence over some EU laws, as an “attack on the European Union.”

Beaune said Friday on BFMTV that if there is “no basic respect for the common rules of rights and freedoms of Europe,” there can be “no support” for Poland.

Accusing Poland of breaching its “contract” with the EU, Beaune added: “It is therefore very serious, it is the risk of a de facto exit.”

In response to the ruling of the Polish court, European Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders said that the EU “will use all the tools” at its disposal to protect the primacy of European law which is “at the heart of the Union.”

Mateusz Morawiecki, the Polish prime minister, dismissed the idea of a so-called Polexit from the EU and said on Facebook Thursday evening that “Poland’s place is and will be in the European family of nations.”

Bić się!

French Europe Minister slams Polish court ruling as ‘attack’ on the EU (Politico.eu)

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32 thoughts on “Pole Vault

  1. Bitnboxy

    While the Polish constitutional court is illegally constituted now that the current Putinesque Polish government intent on autocracy has parachuted in three of its own hacks, the power of the dissenting judges’ opinions shows how serious this is. Repudiating a quintessential and non-negotiable element of EU membership, direct effect and supremacy, surely warrants an immediate reaction from the Commission who have the tools.

    While the Polish Putinistas will stall the publication of this “judgment” to prevent it having effect, the vast majority of Member States (with the exception of Orban’s Hungary) can now longer turn a blind eye to a country intent on a path so fundamentally incompatible with EU membership and mimicking (ironically for Poland) Putin’s klepto slash thugocracy in Russia.

    If this is not a red line for Von der Leyen and Merkel (still in situ) I don’t know what is.

      1. Bitnboxy

        Such insight! Lol. You don’t like the very very basic rules of a club to which everyone but you and your mate abide by then, well time to go.

        Get it sweatpea? Rather simple.

        1. Man On Fire

          My mate gas, settle down there now it’ll be ok..

          Whose missiles are littered all over Poland and where are they pointed?

    1. Bitnboxy

      Very unfair to label a whole populace homophobic. There are very many decent Polish people appalled at the dismantling by Law and Justice of Poland’s fragile democracy. The country is admittedly balkanised and polarised between western and eastern Poland with Law and Justice having gamed the system in their favour by taking over the broadcaster TVP and shredding judicial independence. If the EU don’t act in some way now then I can see the whole edifice crumbling. Poland sucks up an inordinate amount of EU money, now that we are net contributors to the EU budget.

      Merkel is to blame here principally by refusing to act re Hungary and Poland believing naively that there would be a limit to democratic sliding and national politics would sort out the autocratic political parties fortunes. That is not how it worked out…

    2. Mr.T

      The Germans make a lot of money off Polish EU membership – look at the trade surplus to Poland and what thats worth to Germany – it vastly outweighs the EU contributions paid to Poland.

      1. Bitnboxy

        I would dispute that given the value of the pandemic EU recovery fund (from most western Member States) due to be paid to Poland vastly surpassing all other countries. How can the EU even be sure this money is going to go where PiS claim it is. They are already building an airport with PIS cronies involved at every stage some pocketing millions. At a very fundamental Polish Membership of the EU is now untenable. The EU cannot exist to bankroll Poland whose klepto government pocket the cash while giving two fingers to very basic democratic norms, a sine qua non of EU membership. It’s a joke.

          1. Bitnboxy

            ROFL. More searing analysis but that I can rouse such ire in you, that I like! Quite a compliment.

            Heehee.

          2. Bitnboxy

            You bitty Boxy betcha!

            An independent judiciary is not “woke”, my dear wee fellow.

            A day off school today, eh?

  2. Boe__Jiden

    the eu will have to take a more direct approach to avoid poland from sliding further into fascism.

  3. chris

    Fair play to Poland, of course a countries own constitution should take precedence over the bully boy tactics of the EU. The practices of deliberate unnecessary regulation only serves the purpose of driving smaller businesses out, giving everything to oligarchs.

    1. Jon Smoke

      Jaysus Chris, you just can’t help yourself can you.
      Maybe read up a bit about a topic before you start spouting more nonsense.

      1. chris

        I’m well versed in the EU project, it’s aims etc. Perhaps you should read up on where they spend research funding and to what ends.

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