French President Emmanuel Macron wishes “The pursuit of an in-depth dialogue” with Poland to resolve the standoff between Brussels and Warsaw over the primacy of European law, the Elysee said on Wednesday October 27 after a meeting with the Polish president.
Poland has been in open conflict with Brussels for several years due to controversial judicial reforms implemented by the right-wing populist Law and Justice (PiS) party.
Tensions have increased since the beginning of October, when the Polish Constitutional Court, an institution close to the ruling party, ruled in a judgment certain articles of the EU treaties “Incompatible” with the country’s constitution.
The Commission and several Member States see it as an unprecedented attack on the primacy of European law and the jurisdiction of the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU), the founding pillars of the Union. Receiving Andrzej Duda for a working lunch, Emmanuel Macron however wished “The pursuit of an in-depth dialogue” with Warsaw “Allowing the difficulties posed by this judgment to be resolved”.
The French head of state, however, told his counterpart of “His concerns about the independence of the judiciary” Polish, according to a statement from the Elysee. Poland was ordered on Wednesday by the CJEU to pay the European Commission a fine of one million euros per day for trying to bring justice into line. Warsaw has not put an end to the activities of the disciplinary chamber of the Supreme Court, which, according to Brussels, seriously threatens the independence of the judiciary in Poland.
The question of borders
The two heads of state also addressed the issue of the border with Belarus “And the need”, according to the Elysee, “Protection of our external borders that is both effective and respectful of our values”.
Paris accused, on Wednesday, the family of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko of being behind a “Traffic” human beings “Cleverly organized” to the European Union, via Turkey and Dubai.
Europeans suspect President Lukashenko of bringing migrants by plane from the Middle East and Africa to Minsk, before returning them to Lithuania, Latvia and Poland, in retaliation for economic sanctions imposed by the European Union on his diet.
On the energy side, the two presidents have, again according to the Elysee, underlined “The importance of recourse to nuclear energy” to both limit greenhouse gas emissions and “Strengthen our independence with regard to third countries”.