UPDATE - Poland may be stripped of EU voting rights

UPDATES WITH POLISH PREMIER’S STATEMENT, EDITS THROUGHOUT

By Ata Ufuk Seker

BRUSSELS (AA) - Poland may lose its voting rights in the European Parliament after the European Commission initiated a process to force Warsaw to drop controversial changes to the nation’s judiciary.

“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 addressing 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 is 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, Polish authorities have adopted more than 13 laws affecting the entire structure of the justice system, laws EU states see as a threat to the judiciary.

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

Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawieck lashed out the move, calling the changes an internal matter.

"Poland is as devoted to the rule of law as the rest of the EU. Current judiciary reform is deeply needed," he tweeted.

"The dialogue between the commission and Warsaw needs to be both open and honest. I believe that Poland's sovereignty and the idea of United Europe can be reconciled,” he added.