Poland under scrutiny once again in Europe after new laws

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland came under tough scrutiny at the European Parliament on Wednesday, with critics of the populist ruling government denouncing what they consider an erosion of rule of law in the country.

Defenders of the government denounced the criticism as unjustified and an unacceptable meddling in the nation’s affairs.

It was the fourth debate on the state of democracy and rule of law in Poland since the populist and nationalist Law and Justice party won power last year and moved quickly to cement its hold on power.

The party, under chairman Jaroslaw Kaczynski, has imposed greater control over state media, increased government control over prosecutors and moved to neutralize the constitutional court’s ability to strike down new laws.

The debate in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, came a day after large protests took place in Warsaw to denounce the country’s new political direction.

On Tuesday, the Polish parliament passed two new laws that are being denounced by civic groups and the political opposition as violations of democratic freedoms.

One gives state authorities greater power to regulate public gatherings.

“This is really an unlawful limitation on our constitutional rights and freedoms,” Kamila Gasiuk-Pihowicz, a lawmaker with the opposition Modern party, told The Associated Press.

The second new law regulates how the Constitutional Tribunal works and the status of its judges. The provisions are legally complex, but will give the executive branch greater control over the court and weaken the separation of powers envisioned in Poland’s constitution.

EU Commission First Vice President Frans Timmermans opened the debate in Strasbourg saying he was “deeply concerned by these new developments which threaten to deepen the rule of law crisis in Poland.”

In particular, he faulted the Polish government for its treatment of the constitutional court. The government has over the past year refused to publish rulings by the court that it doesn’t like, preventing them from taking legal force.

“You do not get to pick and choose which judgments you like and then only publish the judgments you like. That is a violation of the separation of powers,” he said.

Ryszard Legutko, a member of the European Parliament hailing from Poland’s ruling party, denounced the criticism as “unjustified, unfair, biased and based on nothing.” He argued that other European countries should focus on the problems they have in their own societies rather than pointing the finger at Poland.

Poland’s ruling party, which has increased welfare spending, remains relatively popular, with 36 percent support in a recent poll, more than the top two opposition parties combined.

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In an earlier version of this story, there was a correction note to state that this was the fourth, not third, EU Parliament debate on Poland.