During the plenary session (13-16 January 2020) of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, MEPs assess the progress made by EU ministers in determining whether rule of law and European values are at risk in Poland. Statements by Nikolina BRNJAC, Croatian Presidency, Vĕra JOUROVÁ, Vice-President of the EC in charge of Values and Transparency, Roberta METSOLA (EPP, MT), Terry REINTKE (Greens/EFA, DE), Beate SZYDŁO (ECR, PL), Michal ŠIMEČKA (RE, SK), Sylwia SPUREK (S&D, PL) and Sophia IN'T VELD (RE, NL).

Strasbourg

debate

plenary session

JOUROVÁ, Věra (EC)

REINTKE, Terry (Greens/EFA, DE)

IN 'T VELD, Sophia (Renew, NL)

EU mechanism on democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights (T)

EU - Poland (T)

SZYDŁO, Beata (ECR, PL)

SPUREK, Sylwia (Greens/EFA, PL)

ŠIMEČKA, Michal (Renew, SK)

BRNJAC, Nikolina (HR)

Ongoing hearings under article 7(1) of the TEU regarding Poland: extracts from the debate

SOUNDBITE (English), Nikolina BRNJAC, Croatian Presidency, The Croatian Presidency will ensure that the General Affairs Council remains seized of the highly important matter. At the same time, we hope that the ongoing dialogue at the political level between the Commission and Poland will bear fruit.

SOUNDBITE (English), V&#277;ra JOUROV&#193;, Vice-President of the EC in charge of Values and Transparency, Yesterday the Commission decided to make a request for interim measures in the context of ongoing infringement proceedings for the Court of Justice to suspend the functioning of the disciplinary chamber of the supreme court.  These measures are urgent and needed in this specific case. The Commission stands ready to continue the dialogue with Poland under the rule of law situation vis-a-vis of finding constructive ways forward to resolve the issues at hand.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA (EPP, MT), Standing up for the independence of judges to perform their function without fear of favour, is not an attack on the Polish State or far less on the Polish people. It is about protecting the European way and about protecting the people of Poland. And finally, let me salute the courage of the Polish judges that are with us here today. We will not let you down, we will not let Poland down, we will not let Europe down.

SOUNDBITE (English), Terry REINTKE (Greens/EFA, DE), I believe that article 7 procedure has actually proven to very often come too late and be too inflexible to meet all these attacks that have been happening. I think that we need to have a more holistic vision and the rule of law mechanism that is going to be proposed is one of the instruments that we need together with budgetary measures and, of course, enabling civil society, enabling these representatives to work together.

SOUNDBITE (Polish), Beate SZYD&#321;O (ECR, PL), Courts in Poland are free and independent. Poland protects the rule of law, judges can protest and nobody stops them. Anyone that says otherwise is a liar. All Polish members of parliament, including the judges in this chamber, know that.

SOUNDBITE (English), Michal &#352;IME&#268;KA (RE, SK), This kind of repression is without precedent in the History of the EU. If this legislation is passed, blatant idea. Unfourtunately in the article 7 proceeding so far the Council has been acting in a fairly way and fashion. Polis challenge the idea of the EU as a community National governments can no longer adapt their responsibility, Polish judges are European judges, the situation in Poland is an European, and without judiciary independence.

SOUNDBITE (English), Sylwia SPUREK (S&amp;D, PL), Now, we are seeing the proposed law that will allow limiting independence of judges even more. There is no doubt that all these changes are in complete violation of the rule of law. I am sorry to say that the actions undertaking by the civil society so far, the protests of judges and the triggering of the procedure under article 7, have all been insufficient. This is why the time has come for further steps, it is necessary to suspend operations of the Supreme court disciplinary chamber and it is high time to tight the country compliance with the rule of law to the EU funds.

SOUNDBITE (English), Sophia IN&apos;T VELD (RE, NL), The Polish people are the most pro-European in the whole of the EU, but if you do not recognise the European Commission, the authority of the European Court of Justice, the decisions of this House or the EU treaties, we are talking about de-facto 'Polexit'. Did you tell your voters that before you went to the elections, or did you lie to them. Please, turn around, come back into default, respect the European values and keep Poland firmly in the heart of the European Union.