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Ahead of the EU summit: Greens are calling for Angela Merkel to crack down on Poland

2021-10-21T03:40:31.830Z


The dispute between Poland and the European Union is escalating - and is likely to shape today's EU summit in Brussels. Before the meeting, the Greens are demanding that the Chancellor take a tough stance against Warsaw.


Enlarge image

Angela Merkel and the Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki (in Warsaw in September)

Photo:

MARCIN BANASZKIEWICZ / FOTONEWS / imago images / newspix

The EU summit starts today in Brussels, and it should be the last for the outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel.

But there can be no question of a relaxed end, a lot of work awaits the CDU politician and her EU colleagues.

One of the most sensitive issues: dealing with Poland.

Before the start of the summit, the Greens demanded that Merkel take a much tougher course on the rule of law in relation to the neighboring country.

The Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki is endangering his country's EU membership and is clearly against the majority of citizens, said the Green European politician Franziska Brantner of the dpa news agency.

"It is irresponsible that Merkel continues to stand by him instead of showing solidarity with the people on the street."

The dispute over the Polish judicial reforms and the recent ruling by the Constitutional Court in Warsaw on the restricted application of EU law will be among the main topics of the summit on Thursday and Friday.

The dispute had recently come to a head.

The judgment of the politically occupied Warsaw Constitutional Tribunal, issued at the request of Morawiecki, declared central parts of the EU treaty to be incompatible with the national constitution.

It is shaking the foundations of the EU - the principle that the case law of the EU takes precedence over that of its member states.

Several countries are in favor of sanctions

Morawiecki recently said in a debate in the European Parliament: "The EU's competencies have their limits, we can no longer remain silent if they are exceeded." Resistance there.

EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen recently threatened Poland with sanctions, and countries such as the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg are also pushing for a tough course.

Poland is by far the largest beneficiary of EU funds; in 2019 alone, the country received a bottom line of twelve billion euros from the Brussels pots.

Merkel, on the other hand, relies on dialogue.

There is not much time left for this: in mid-December, when the next meeting of heads of state and government takes place, the new federal government could already be in office.

Green speaks of the freezing of EU funds

"The next federal government must do much more to promote the rule of law and democracy in Europe and defend them by all means," demanded the Green politician Brantner, whose party will most likely belong to the next government.

"This also includes appealing to the EU Commission to freeze EU funds until the basis for cooperation, namely the rule of law, is secured again."

The EU summit must address clear words to the Polish government, said the Greens MP.

»The basic values ​​of the EU are non-negotiable, there can be no lazy compromises here.

A functioning judiciary is not just a matter for the member states, but the basis for EU membership. «

jok / dpa

Source: spiegel

All news articles on 2021-10-21

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