The Polish parliament has taken a new step toward a political-legal confrontation with the European Union. The conservative-nationalist parliament in Warsaw passed the controversial law allowing judges to be dismissed if they criticize the government’s judicial reforms. The law was introduced by the conservative ruling party PiS, which holds an absolute majority.
Under the new law, judges are also prohibited from criticizing the appointment of new judges or speaking out on political matters. The bill sparked considerable unrest, not only in Poland but also within the European Commission and the European Parliament. On other policy fronts, the PiS government similarly rejects many European liberal tendencies. In response, the EU is threatening to withhold EU subsidies.
Earlier this week, the Polish Supreme Court warned about the consequences of the law, which could cause a rupture with the EU. According to the Supreme Court, the law is primarily intended to give President Andrzej Duda the freedom to appoint a new court president in May 2020. With the new law, other members will no longer be able to object to Duda’s appointment, who is seen as an ally of PiS.
Pro-European mayors of the capitals of Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic have formed a cooperative alliance on this matter. They want to jointly push for more direct EU funding for their local projects, thereby bypassing their own governments.
The mayors of Budapest, Warsaw, Bratislava, and Prague call their agreement a “pact of free cities.” They want to commit themselves to “protecting and promoting shared values such as freedom, human dignity, democracy, equality, the rule of law, social justice, tolerance, and cultural diversity.”
The conservative and Eurosceptic governments, especially of Poland and Hungary, have a tense relationship with the European Union. Brussels accuses these countries of undermining the rule of law. The four mayors are deliberately choosing a different path.