Senate Deputy Speaker Marek Pęk (PiS) framed the president’s move to send the Supreme Court reform to the Constitutional Court as not a scenario where money is at risk. The statement came in the context of a broader push to satisfy EU expectations tied to the national reconstruction plan and the block of funds labeled KPO.
Amendment of the Supreme Court Law Presented to the Constitutional Court
On a late Friday, President Andrzej Duda announced that he had submitted the amendment to the Supreme Court law to the Constitutional Tribunal for review.
The draft, prepared by PiS deputies, is described as a key milestone toward unlocking EU funds for Poland’s national reconstruction plan. Among its provisions, it shifts the responsibility for handling disciplinary and immunity cases of judges from the Professional Liability Chamber of the Supreme Court to the Supreme Administrative Court. The amendment also outlines changes to the so-called review of judicial independence and impartiality.
“I don’t think this is a case where money is on the line,”
Pęk told RMF FM when asked about the claim that KPO funds would be withheld until the Supreme Court reform is enacted. “There will be a law. The Constitutional Tribunal will meet, examine the case, and has the proper tools,” he added, suggesting there is no need for worry.
A Political Dispute
Pęk noted that the president exercised his prerogative and that this stance is hard to argue against. He suggested that the funding debate for KPO would be postponed and criticized the opposition for sounding off about a defeat while allegedly blocking the money for years.
He also downplayed the immediacy of outcomes, saying that a few days or weeks one way or another are not a critical factor.
As the president described in his address yesterday, enacting the law does not immediately funnel funds into the budget. The process involves a complex network of administrative, financial, and political steps. The Polish–EU dispute surrounding the KPO is, in his view, primarily political, requiring ongoing cooperation with the European Commission.
“The situation is not black and white, and assigning blame is not straightforward,” Pek said, noting that the current state results from the unique nature of the decision-making process. He underlined that if the debate were strictly legal, the conversation would look very different.
When asked whether the president bore responsibility, the PiS senator replied that the fault did not lie with the president. He emphasized the president’s right to his own political and legal sensibilities, adding that there are ongoing disagreements within the United Right and that Law and Justice holds a distinct view from Solidarna Polska.
Amendment to the Electoral Act
Pęk was also questioned about the electoral law changes passed in the Sejm two weeks prior, which are now moving to the Senate for consideration.
He argued that the adjustments should not be controversial but rather aimed at increasing turnout and reflecting the sovereign will in the broadest possible manner during elections.
He warned that the timing of these changes would be scrutinized in the Senate, noting concerns that the elections could be affected by the implementation date. He reminded listeners of the 2011 election year when a broader electoral act was enacted, hinting that the current reform is more limited in scope than that broader law.
He also mentioned that the move did not undo the Sejm’s compromise and that single-member constituencies had already been introduced in the Senate elections.
The Electoral Act amendment, already adopted by the Sejm, requires municipalities without public transport to provide free transit to polling stations. It also shortens the minimum population threshold for a permanent constituency from 500 to 4000 inhabitants, a change opposed by the opposition. The KO argued the measure aimed more at boosting PiS’s electoral chances than at broadening turnout.
No Viable Alternative to the United Right
The discussion also touched on tensions within the United Right. Sejm Vice-President Ryszard Terlecki indicated a desire to remove Solidarna Polska candidates from United Right lists.
According to Pek, the alternative to the United Right would be figures such as Donald Tusk, Radosław Sikorski, Roman Giertych, and Borys Budka, stressing that decisions within the coalition are guided by PiS leadership. He added that a stronger anti-EU stance by Solidarna Polska from the outset might have prevented their current position in the Sejm. The senator highlighted the aim of breaking the opposition’s Senate pact ahead of the next election.
Sikorski and UAE Funds
Asked about Radosław Sikorski’s political future, the senator expressed cautious optimism. He suggested that Sikorski, despite recent revelations about substantial funds raised in the United Arab Emirates, remains a prominent figure whose comments continue to influence Poland’s political landscape. Pek argued that Sikorski’s activities should prompt reflection within the Civic Platform about moral and national legitimacy.
Additionally, Pek referenced recent coverage by Western media on Sikorski and related disclosures, noting a broad debate about integrity and national service.
— President: I have decided to submit the amendment to the Law on the Supreme Court to the Constitutional Court, as part of the preventive review procedure
— Mec. Markiewicz: What was the president supposed to do? This bill rejected his act. The head of the EC cheated him. Did he have to sign it?
Source: wPolityce
Citation: wPolityce