Poland may be stripped of EU voting rights

By Ata Ufuk Seker

BRUSSELS (AA) - Poland may lose voting rights for European Parliament after European Commission initiated a process to force Warsaw to drop judicial reforms.

“It is with a heavy heart that we have decided to initiate Article 7.1,” Frans Timmermans, vice president of the commission, told reporters after a weekly meeting in Brussels on Wednesday.

“But the facts leave us with no choice,” he said.

The commission also issued a statement detailing the issue.

“Despite repeated efforts, for almost two years, to engage the Polish authorities in a constructive dialogue in the context of the Rule of Law Framework, the Commission has today concluded that there is a clear risk of a serious breach of the rule of law in Poland,” the statement read.

It said the Commission was taking action to protect the rule of law in Europe.

“Judicial reforms in Poland mean that the country's judiciary is now under the political control of the ruling majority. In the absence of judicial independence, serious questions are raised about the effective application of EU law,” it added.

In two years, the Polish authorities have adopted more than 13 laws affecting the entire structure of the justice system, which are considered as a threat to judiciary by the EU states.

The European Commission has told Polish government that it would rescind its decision if the Polish government implements remedial actions.