Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk expressed concern that right-wing parties in Poland are pushing the country away from the European Union. He warned that current political moves could risk a ‘Polexit,’ potentially undermining Poland’s position in Europe and straining relations with EU institutions as tensions grow.

Poland Political Crisis: PM Tusk Warns Right-Wing Parties Could Steer Poland Towards ‘Polexit’ 

Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the leader of Poland's governing right-wing party, said Saturday a controversial 2017 justice reform would be watered down after the EU raised concern over the independence of the judiciary.

In an interview with the PAP news agency, Kaczynski said a new "Disciplinary Chamber" of Poland's supreme court, which critics say is a political body aimed at suppressing any judicial opposition to legal changes made by the government, will be abolished.

"We will abolish the Disciplinary Chamber in the form in which it currently operates and the subject of the dispute (with the EU) will thus disappear," the president of the Law and Justice (PiS) party said.

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He added the first proposals for changing the reform would be put forward in September.

Last month, the EU's Court of Justice ruled that the chamber was "not compatible" with EU law, ordering Poland to abolish it.

The chamber oversees Polish judges, with the power to lift their immunity to expose them to criminal proceedings or cut their salaries.

The EU court ruled that the chamber did not offer "all the guarantees of impartiality and independence" and was not protected from "the direct or indirect influence of the Polish legislature and executive."

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38 complaints

The government argued the reforms were necessary to tackle corruption and end Communist-era legacies in the judiciary.

Poland's Constitutional Court subsequently defied Brussels with its own ruling saying that any interim measures from the EU court against Poland's judicial reforms were "not in line" with the Polish constitution.

But the European Commission still threatened to impose fines on Poland.

Then at the end of July, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) also ruled on the issue after lawyer Joanna Reczkowicz who was suspended by the Disciplinary Chamber for alleged breaches of ethics, brought a case there.

She argued that the chamber was in effect a political body and its "real objective was to suppress any judicial opposition to the changes in the Polish legal system by the current government", the ECHR said in its ruling.

Seven ECHR judges, one of them Polish, agreed that the Disciplinary Chamber was not a "tribunal established by law" and that as a result her right to a fair trial had been violated.

As a result the court ordered Poland to pay Reczkowicz 15,000 euros ($17,700) in damages.

It was one of 38 complaints that have been lodged at the ECHR since 2018 over Poland's controversial judicial reforms.

Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the leader of Poland's governing right-wing party, said Saturday a controversial 2017 justice reform would be watered down after the EU raised concern over the independence of the judiciary.

Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the leader of Poland's governing right-wing party, said Saturday a controversial 2017 justice reform would be watered down after the EU raised concern over the independence of the judiciary. In an interview with the PAP news agency, Kaczynski said a new "Disciplinary Chamber" of Poland's supreme court, which critics say is a political body aimed at suppressing any judicial opposition to legal changes made by the government, will be abolished. "We will abolish the Disciplinary Chamber in the form in which it currently operates and the subject of the dispute (with the EU) will thus disappear," the president of the Law and Justice (PiS) party said. Also read | Picture of Upanishad Mantras engraved on library wall in Poland He added the first proposals for changing the reform would be put forward in September. Last month, the EU's Court of Justice ruled that the chamber was "not compatible" with EU law, ordering Poland to abolish it. The chamber oversees Polish judges, with the power to lift their immunity to expose them to criminal proceedings or cut their salaries. The EU court ruled that the chamber did not offer "all the guarantees of impartiality and independence" and was not protected from "the direct or indirect influence of the Polish legislature and executive." Also read | US warns Poland about licence renewal for Discovery-owned news channel 38 complaints The government argued the reforms were necessary to tackle corruption and end Communist-era legacies in the judiciary. Poland's Constitutional Court subsequently defied Brussels with its own ruling saying that any interim measures from the EU court against Poland's judicial reforms were "not in line" with the Polish constitution. But the European Commission still threatened to impose fines on Poland. Then at the end of July, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) also ruled on the issue after lawyer Joanna Reczkowicz who was suspended by the Disciplinary Chamber for alleged breaches of ethics, brought a case there. She argued that the chamber was in effect a political body and its "real objective was to suppress any judicial opposition to the changes in the Polish legal system by the current government", the ECHR said in its ruling. Seven ECHR judges, one of them Polish, agreed that the Disciplinary Chamber was not a "tribunal established by law" and that as a result her right to a fair trial had been violated. As a result the court ordered Poland to pay Reczkowicz 15,000 euros ($17,700) in damages. It was one of 38 complaints that have been lodged at the ECHR since 2018 over Poland's controversial judicial reforms.

Poland says will water down controversial justice reform

Protesters blocked all exits from the Polish parliament on Friday after the opposition said ruling party lawmakers illegally passed the budget for next year by moving the vote outside of the main chamber of parliament.

The protest marked the biggest political standoff in years in the&nbsp;European Union member Poland and the sharpest escalation of the conflict between the opposition and the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party since it came to power in October last year.

The police attempted in the early hours of Saturday to remove protesters by grabbing them and pulling them aside, but later ceased in their efforts as new protesters arrived at the scene, a Reuters witness said.

The police also called on protesters blocking the parliament to disperse, saying on loudspeakers that they might otherwise use force.

&quot;Everybody sees that PiS has crossed a certain line and nothing will be the same anymore,&quot; Tomasz Siemoniak, deputy leader of the biggest opposition party Civic Platform told local media outside parliament.

The parliament was surrounded by hundreds of policemen, some of whom were carrying rubber bullet guns. Police reinforcements were arriving at the parliament as well.

The protesters chanted that lawmakers will remain blocked and called on the head of PiS, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, to come out and face them.

It was unclear how many lawmakers and staffers were inside waiting for the exits to be unblocked. Some opposition lawmakers said they would spend the night in parliament.

Polish opposition parties accused PiS earlier on Friday of violating the constitution after Speaker Marek Kuchcinski moved a key vote on next year&#39;s budget outside of the main chamber of parliament and blocked the media from recording the vote.

It was the first time since Poland&#39;s transition from communism in 1989 that a sitting of the lower chamber of parliament was conducted outside of the main chamber.

&quot;The &#39;sitting&#39; was illegal. Period. This is a constitutional crisis,&quot; Civic Platform head Grzegorz Schetyna said on social media.

Kuchcinski decided to transfer the sitting and the budget vote outside the main chamber after opposition lawmakers occupied the parliamentary podium protesting against a plan to curb media access and against Kuchcinski&#39;s decision to exclude one lawmaker.Ruling party lawmakers said the transfer of the vote was legal and the vote itself was valid.

&quot;What the opposition did was a scandal. And we were working,&quot; said PiS lawmaker Jaroslaw Zielinski, who took part in the budget vote.

Opposition parties Civic Platform and Nowoczesna together with the PSL party said in a statement that the speaker has violated the constitution. Opposition lawmakers also said they had problems in accessing the budget vote.

The parties demanded that the parliament sitting be held once again next week.

Since coming to power last year, the nationalist-minded, eurosceptic PiS has tightened its control over public news media and state prosecution and moved to weaken the country&#39;s highest court.

PiS is the first party since Poland&#39;s transition to democracy to hold an outright majority in parliament.

(Reuters)

The protest marked the sharpest escalation of conflict between the opposition and the ruling Law and Justice party since it came to power

Protesters blocked all exits from the Polish parliament on Friday after the opposition said ruling party lawmakers illegally passed the budget for next year by moving the vote outside of the main chamber of parliament. The protest marked the biggest political standoff in years in the European Union member Poland and the sharpest escalation of the conflict between the opposition and the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party since it came to power in October last year. The police attempted in the early hours of Saturday to remove protesters by grabbing them and pulling them aside, but later ceased in their efforts as new protesters arrived at the scene, a Reuters witness said. The police also called on protesters blocking the parliament to disperse, saying on loudspeakers that they might otherwise use force. "Everybody sees that PiS has crossed a certain line and nothing will be the same anymore," Tomasz Siemoniak, deputy leader of the biggest opposition party Civic Platform told local media outside parliament. The parliament was surrounded by hundreds of policemen, some of whom were carrying rubber bullet guns. Police reinforcements were arriving at the parliament as well. The protesters chanted that lawmakers will remain blocked and called on the head of PiS, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, to come out and face them. It was unclear how many lawmakers and staffers were inside waiting for the exits to be unblocked. Some opposition lawmakers said they would spend the night in parliament. Polish opposition parties accused PiS earlier on Friday of violating the constitution after Speaker Marek Kuchcinski moved a key vote on next year's budget outside of the main chamber of parliament and blocked the media from recording the vote. It was the first time since Poland's transition from communism in 1989 that a sitting of the lower chamber of parliament was conducted outside of the main chamber. "The 'sitting' was illegal. Period. This is a constitutional crisis," Civic Platform head Grzegorz Schetyna said on social media. Kuchcinski decided to transfer the sitting and the budget vote outside the main chamber after opposition lawmakers occupied the parliamentary podium protesting against a plan to curb media access and against Kuchcinski's decision to exclude one lawmaker.Ruling party lawmakers said the transfer of the vote was legal and the vote itself was valid. "What the opposition did was a scandal. And we were working," said PiS lawmaker Jaroslaw Zielinski, who took part in the budget vote. Opposition parties Civic Platform and Nowoczesna together with the PSL party said in a statement that the speaker has violated the constitution. Opposition lawmakers also said they had problems in accessing the budget vote. The parties demanded that the parliament sitting be held once again next week. Since coming to power last year, the nationalist-minded, eurosceptic PiS has tightened its control over public news media and state prosecution and moved to weaken the country's highest court. PiS is the first party since Poland's transition to democracy to hold an outright majority in parliament. (Reuters)

Poland's parliament blocked by protesters as political crisis escalates