Sharp exchanges as European Parliament debates Poland

During the debate in Strasbourg, France, Ryszard Legutko, an MEP from Poland’s ruling Law and Justice party, told fellow parliamentarians: “The European Union is going through its greatest crisis, and here you are, organising a debate about Poland.

“Why? I think your allies have lost their monopoly position in Poland and cannot accept it.”

But MEP Janusz Lewandowski, from Poland’s opposition Civic Platform party, said: “This is not a debate directed against Poland but... mainly about violations by the current authorities” in Poland.

Sweeping changes introduced by Poland's Law and Justice (PiS) party after coming to power in October have prompted criticism in some quarters in the EU and triggered a bitter domestic political dispute.

Tuesday’s debate is expected be followed on Wednesday by a vote in the European Parliament on a resolution on Poland.

Poland’s Robert Iwaszkiewicz, from the Eurosceptic KORWiN grouping, told fellow MEPs on Tuesday: “Leave Poland alone. This whole debate is a brutal attack on my homeland.

“Anyone in this chamber with a minimum of decency should be ashamed to teach our country lessons.”

The European Parliament debate was the second related to Poland's constitutional crisis.

In the first, in January, Prime Minister Beata Szydło rebutted criticism of changes to the judiciary introduced by her government, which came to power after a landslide win by PiS in Poland’s general elections last year.

In April, the European Parliament passed a resolution warning that the “effective paralysis” of Poland's Constitutional Tribunal endangers the rule of law, democracy and human rights.

The resolution, which urged the government to respect decisions by Poland's Constitutional Tribunal, was criticised by Szydło.

(pk/rg)