Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki announced that he had invited Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro and members of Solidarna Polska to a meeting on Wednesday. He said that he would like to show them the “benefits” of EU KPO money and the end of “tertiary problems”. – I understand that for some these problems, a few referees to the right, to the left, may be a bit more important. I respect that. But it shows that there are some higher values - he said.
Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki was asked at Monday’s press conference about the money from the Reconstruction Fund. Although Polish National Reconstruction Plan has been accepted in Brussels, EU money is still not flowing because Poland has not fulfilled the milestones to which it was committed. The key conditions of the European Commission, called milestones, concern, among others, changes in the judiciary. The environment of the Minister of Justice is opposed to changes in the justice system Zbigniew Ziobroleader of Solidarna Polska.
– The day after tomorrow I invited the president of Solidarna Polska together with deputies. I would like to introduce everyone members of Solidarity Polandwhat benefits (…) (flowing – ed.) for GDP growth, economic growth, the number of jobs, for raising wages, for investment development, precisely from the adoption of the National Reconstruction Program and ending these, I say, tertiary problems – he said Prime Minister.
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– I understand that for some these problems, a few referees to the right, to the left, may be a bit more important. I respect that. But it shows that there are some higher values - he continued. As Morawiecki said, “Today it is war in Ukrainethere is a real enemy – Russia.” – Let’s focus on this enemy, and not look for holes in the whole – he appealed.
Morawiecki: you should focus on what is most important
– If the economic side, because this is how our last meeting with Minister Ziobro and several of his representatives ended, then I am also ready to present facts that are absolutely one-sided, absolutely crushing for Poland, which is very difficult today in the era of war in Ukraine, to obtain financing from capital markets, financial markets, continued Morawiecki.
He argued that “the program called the National Reconstruction Program” is a “very good programme”. He added that the funds coming from it are needed “here and now”. – If there are any shortcomings, in my opinion, you should pay less attention to them and concentrate on what is most important. This is how I will convince our coalition partners, among other things, he declared.
He added that “representatives of the presidium of the political committee” of Law and Justice will be with him at the meeting.
Prime Minister about KPO: this is how I will convince our coalition partnersTVN24
Frictions between coalition partners. In the background, the shape of the justice system and KPO
Prime Minister Morawiecki had already met with Minister Ziobro at the end of December. The talks lasted five hours. Politicians from the United Right camp discussed the project of changes in the judiciary, which is opposed by Solidarna Polska, and the situation related to the dispute among coalition partners over the National Reconstruction Plan.
On December 13, PiS MPs submitted to the Sejm a draft amendment to the law on the Supreme Court and other courts, which, according to the authors, is to complete a key “milestone”. The assumptions of the project were negotiated in Brussels by the Minister for the European Union, Szymon Szynkowski vel Sęk.
According to the provisions, disciplinary and immunity cases of judges will be resolved by the Supreme Administrative Court, and not, as is currently the case, by the recently established Chamber of Professional Liability of the Supreme Court. The proposed amendment also provides for the extension of the scope of the so-called a test of independence and impartiality of the judge, which could be initiated not only by the party to the proceedings, but also ex officio by the court itself. The project also complements the method of examining the impartiality of a judge.
Two days after the draft was submitted, President Andrzej Duda stated that he had neither participated in its preparation nor had he been consulted. He stressed that he would not agree to solutions that would undermine the constitutional system and would not allow any legal act to be introduced into the Polish legal system that would undermine judicial appointments or allow anyone to verify them.
Zbigniew Ziobro, the Minister of Justice, spoke negatively about the assumptions of the project, stating that his Ministry of Justice and Solidarna Polska (which is part of the ruling coalition) would not accept the project in the form submitted by PiS. He also said that his party expected the prime minister to meet and talk about the proposed regulations.
Polish KPO and milestones
At the beginning of June 2022, the European Commission approved the Polish National Reconstruction Plan. This was a step towards the disbursement by the EU of EUR 23.9 billion in grants and EUR 11.5 billion in loans under the Recovery Fund.
In order to receive funds from the Reconstruction Fund, Poland agreed to the implementation of milestones, the most important of which concerned the judiciary and regulations disciplining judges. It is clearly stated in the KPO that no money will be paid out without the fulfillment of these points. Formally, the achievement of milestones will be assessed along with the submission of applications for the first KPO payments.
Main photo source: PAP/Radek Pietruszka