35 billion for Poland?

Reforms for the EU still raise doubts - but Brussels also wants something from Duda

Created: 2022-06-02 17:02

By: Florian Naumann

With a piece of judicial reform, Poland has come closer to paying out billions in the EU.

There are still doubts about the plans - but the EU also needs Poland's support.

Warsaw/Brussels – Ursula von der Leyen had an explosive appointment in Poland on Thursday: the President of the EU Commission was to explain the possible payment of 35.4 billion euros in Warsaw.

The EU’s Corona funds are linked to conditions – including the reversal of a highly controversial judicial reform.

Poland has now acted on this weighty matter.

But, according to some critics, rather half-hearted.

So it could also be that the EU billions in von der Leyen's luggage ultimately remain in Brussels.

“Poland and Poles need this money.

It's a shame that so much time has been lost and that it's not entirely clear whether the PiS will also fulfill its promises," opposition leader Donald Tusk warned, according to a report by the

portal .

However, the EU states probably also have an interest in placating Poland: The country is the last post of resistance against a planned minimum taxation for companies.

France's Economics Minister Bruno Le Maire said he expected the blockade to be lifted at the last meeting of finance ministers under the French Council Presidency in mid-June.

magazine, EU officials recently

speculated that a release of the EU billions could persuade Poland to say “yes” to the tax plans .

Poland and the EU: Duda wants billions in money - but so far the EU funds have been on hold

In any case, the German Commission President should now discuss the plan for disbursing the money in talks with Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and President Andrzej Duda.

With a delay of more than a year, the EU Commission gave the green light for the billions in support from the Corona reconstruction fund for Poland - but not yet final.

Andrzej Duda and Ursula von der Leyen (here at a meeting in early February) have a lot to talk about again.

© Zheng Huansong via www.imago-images.de

The money stop has a serious background.

So far, Brussels has blocked the sum because of Polish violations of the independence of the judiciary.

The Commission made the release subject to conditions: In addition to the reinstatement of unlawfully dismissed judges, it called on Poland to dissolve the disciplinary chamber at the Supreme Court, which has been sharply criticized by the EU Commission, and to reform the disciplinary system of the judiciary.

Poland's judiciary: Von der Leyen teases gently - "I'm looking forward to the implementation"

Last week, the Polish parliament decided to abolish said disciplinary body.

Poland also seems to have taken another step towards Brussels: last week, one of the six dismissed judges who had criticized the judicial reforms had his dismissal overturned.

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But that doesn't go far enough for critics.

, a group of eleven legal and human rights groups, including the Association of Polish Judges

, wrote about "cosmetic changes" and the danger of "intimidating procedures" before a committee that was still incorrectly set up for affected judges.

However, before leaving, von der Leyen once again pointed out that Poland had to prove that it had met all the conditions before the funds were actually paid out.

"I look forward to the implementation of these reforms," ​​she said on Wednesday (June 1).

The EU member states must also agree to the payment of the funds.

You have four weeks to comment.

The case once again highlights the difficult decision-making processes in Brussels.

Hungary has just won another change to a sanctions package with the threat of a veto.

EU headwind for Poland: reservations and rejection in the commission - new "chamber" probably not convincing

Assistance to Poland consists of €23.9 billion in grants and €11.5 billion in loans.

As reported from EU circles, the two executive Vice-Presidents Margrethe Vestager and Frans Timmermans rejected the release of the funds at the meeting on Wednesday.

Vice President Vera Jourova and EU Commissioner Ylva Johansson, both of whom were absent, expressed reservations.

A new "Chamber for Professional Responsibility" is to be set up in place of the controversial Disciplinary Chamber.

33 people are to be drawn at random from among all the judges of the Supreme Court, with the exception of the court president.

The President will select eleven judges from each of them for a five-year term.

The draft also provides for the introduction of a review of judges' impartiality and independence.

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