Poland’s parliament votes to abolish the disciplinary body

Poland meets the EU’s condition for releasing Corona aid funds. A new “Chamber for Professional Responsibility” is to be set up in place of the controversial Disciplinary Chamber.

(dpa)

Poland’s parliament has approved a bill to abolish the controversial disciplinary body. The dissolution of the chamber was one of the conditions on which the EU Commission had made its release of the Polish corona recovery plan dependent.

«A black Russian cloud hangs over Poland. We have to work closely together today, we need unity in this important vote,” Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki appealed to parliamentarians before the decision was made.

The President has yet to sign

The amendment goes back to a draft submitted by President Andrzej Duda in February. It provides for the dissolution of the Disciplinary Chamber at the Supreme Court, which can punish and dismiss any judge.

The supreme judges currently working there can move to another chamber or retire. A new “Chamber for Professional Responsibility” is to be set up in place of the controversial Disciplinary Chamber. The law now has to be signed by Duda.

Controversial decision of the EU Commission

Last week, after a long dispute with the Polish government, the EU Commission agreed on a plan for the payment of the Corona aid. The country can hope for more than 35 billion euros. Approval of the Polish plan was repeatedly postponed because von der Leyen criticized blatant shortcomings in the Polish constitutional state and initially called for reforms. The European Parliament in particular has criticized the EU Commission’s decision to approve the construction plan.

Finally, on Thursday, a large majority of MEPs in Strasbourg voted in favor of a resolution sharply criticizing the EU Commission’s decision.

The parliamentarians point to ongoing violations of the rule of law in Poland and emphasize that compliance with EU values ​​must be a prerequisite for access to the Corona Fund. Poland must implement all relevant judgments of the European Court of Justice and the European Court of Human Rights before the national development plan can be approved by the EU states. In Parliament’s view, the milestones laid down in the plan are not sufficient.

source site-111