Poland again drew the attention of the European Commission, this time over a new law advanced by the ruling Law and Justice party. The measure creates a special committee tasked with examining Russian influence and grants it the power to bar citizens from public office for up to ten years. Within a day of the announcement, the United States rang alarm bells, and Brussels quickly joined in the conversation, echoing Washington’s concerns. The Justice Commissioner signaled that this issue matters and warned that the European Commission will act if the law is enacted, speaking as the Council of Ministers for General Affairs convened.
Despite questions raised by legal experts, President Andrzej Duda confirmed that the proposed rule had been published last Monday and has been referred to the Constitutional Court for review. The measure has sparked substantial debate across both sides of the Atlantic. The United States government expressed alarm after the bill surfaced, noting that the commission could examine Russia’s influence on Poland’s internal security from 2007 to 2022.
We are concerned by a new Polish law that could be misused to affect elections. It might be employed to block opposition candidates without due process, a State Department spokesperson stated. Critics contend the new commission could issue unilateral decisions on disqualification, risking a politically controlled mechanism without judicial oversight and potentially undermining political opposition.
“No Fair Trial”
The issue has also drawn Brussels scrutiny. The new law raises concerns about influence over who may run for public office and about the fairness of proceedings. The European Commission pledged to review the legislation and indicated that it would take action if necessary to defend justice and the independence of courts. The message from Brussels underscored that due process and an independent judiciary must be preserved as a cornerstone of the European project.
The European vue did not end there. A note from the vice president for European values emphasized that urgent measures would be considered if required. The matter was described as briefly discussed at the ministerial meeting, with Article 7 of the Treaty not being the focus of that discussion. This article would allow a member state to be constrained or otherwise affected if it violates fundamental European principles.