STRASBOURG – The Polish premier, Mateusz Morawiecki is present today at the plenary of the European Parliament in Strasbourg to personally respond to the attacks against the ruling of the Polish Constitutional Court which established the primacy of Polish law over European law. The president of the Commission spoke before him Ursula von der Leyen.
Poland, Prime Minister Morawiecki opens up to the EU on compliance with the Treaties
by our correspondent Claudio Tito
Von der Leyen: “I’m very worried”
“Almost 40 years ago the communist regime imposed martial law. The Solidarity activists were put in jail just for fighting for their rights. The people of Poland wanted democracy, the freedom to choose their government. And they wanted to unite. to the European family for freedom. The recent sentence calls all this into question, we are worried about the judicial system. I am very worried, because it is questioning the foundations of the European Union “.
“By joining the European Union”, he added, “the Poles put their trust in this project, thinking and expecting that it would rightly defend their rights. The Commission is guardian of the treaty and it is therefore my duty to protect the rights of EU citizens, wherever they live on the territory of the Union “.
Poland, Jean-Claude Juncker: “The Court’s ruling is an attack on the EU”
by Beatrice Delvaux
The President of the European Commission concluded her speech to the European Parliament on the rule of law in Poland, also citing Pope Wojtyla, Lech Walesa and Lech Kaczynski: “The Polish people played a fundamental role in the stability of our Union, allowing their country to prosper as a living part of our Union. And so it will always be. Poland, you are part of Europe and you will always be the heart of Europe. Long live Poland, long live Europe “.
La replica di Morawiecki
The Polish premier listed his country’s problems, from immigration to the Russian threat to the energy crisis, and admitting that they must all be faced together: “We don’t want to go anywhere else, Europe is our place, but this does not mean that Polish citizens are not worried about their future. The European Union is not a state, like the 27 Member States of the European Union that remain sovereign, above the Treaties, and it is the Member States that decide which competences are transferred to the ‘EU “.
Then he cited the German, French and Italian courts to demonstrate the importance of national courts: “The Constitution is the supreme law of our country that has priority over the European Union”.
“If you want a European superstate you have to ask the European states and populations. Primary law is embodied in the Polish constitution and comes before any other source of law: this element cannot be circumvented. In any case, the Polish court has never stated that the rules of the EU treaty are totally irreconcilable with the national constitution “.
The premier’s tone in his 40 minutes on the podium became altered towards the end, after the warning that his time was up. He spoke of a climate of conflict with Poland fueled by threats and blackmail, “even in this Chamber”.
And in closing he said: “I want a Europe that stays with authoritarian regimes while respecting the different cultures and traditions. Long live Europe and Poland under the sun”.
The letter from the Polish premier
The Polish premier yesterday wrote to fellow leaders of the Union, warning that the EU risks becoming a “centrally managed body, managed by institutions without democratic control”. Morawiecki said it was “a dangerous phenomenon that threatens the future of our union”, but added that Poland will remain a “loyal member” and called on EU leaders to be “open to dialogue” on reform. of the EU.
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