Polish president accuses EU of ‘lying’ about judicial reforms
Warsaw, (MILLAT ONLINE):Poland’s President Andrzej Duda accused the EU Wednesday of “lying” about his country’s judicial reforms hours after the European Commission launched unprecedented disciplinary proceedings against Warsaw for the changes that Brussels says threaten the rule of law.
In a major escalation against one of the EU’s largest states, Brussels triggered article seven of the EU treaty over what it sees as “systemic threats” to the independence of the Polish judiciary from the nation’s right-wing government.
“Very many representatives of European institutions tell lies about Poland; They’re lying. They lie when they say that there are changes in Poland that lead to violations of the rule of law because we are improving democratic standards,” Duda told Poland’s Polsat commercial television.
Regarding the triggering of article seven, Duda told Polsat: “I don’t understand it. I believe this is a purely political decision.
“Unfortunately, I believe there is a lot of hypocrisy in the actions of the European Union. I’m sad to say it, but that’s what I think.
“There’s a lot of hypocrisy in what we’re hearing from the other side, lies, disinformation. They’re not telling the truth,” Duda added.
Just hours after the EU’s move to censure Warsaw, Duda signed into law two controversial judicial reforms that the EU insists undermine the rule of law and the separation of powers.
Duda’s actions prompted Polish opposition politicians to accuse him and Poland’s rightwing Law and Justice (PiS) government of “going to war with the EU.”
Duda told Polsat the judicial reforms were constitutional and that they were among the PiS government’s campaign promises to banish the last vestiges of the communist system.
The Polish leader also said he thought the tensions between Warsaw and Brussels were rooted in “ideological differences” regarding “principles and values”.