To secure a Polish commissioner spot in the European Union, the formal written consent of the president is required, according to Mieszko Pawlak of KPRP, who spoke on Polsat News. In response, Marcin Kierwiński of Civic Platform dismissed the latest legal interpretation as invalid, asserting that the law enacted last year does not hold up. He suggested that the prime minister would likely inform the president out of courtesy.
On Friday, former prime minister Donald Tusk indicated he would share his opinion on who should be Poland’s EU commissioner at the upcoming government meeting. He added that he expected agreement from Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the European Commission, regarding his proposal. When pressed about these remarks, Mieszko Pawlak stated that, under current law, a candidate must obtain written approval from President Andrzej Duda before any formal nomination can be submitted to the European Commission.
Formal written authorization from the president is required for submitting this application to the European Commission
– stated Mieszko Pawlak on Polsat News.
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Alleged violations and constitutional questions
When asked whether there would be a meeting between the president and the prime minister about the candidacy for the Polish EU commissioner, Pawlak replied that such a meeting was not necessary. He framed the process as simply following applicable regulations, namely submitting a request to the president in accordance with the law, and suggested that any deviation would amount to a violation of legal norms.
He expressed doubt about any anticipated breach by the prime minister, stating that it would be hard to imagine such a flagrant breach of law by Poland’s prime minister.
During the discussion, Civic Platform MEP Marcin Kierwiński directed sharp remarks at the presidential minister. He claimed that past actions by the government amounted to a large-scale breach and suggested the primacy of courtesy would lead to notifying the president before proceeding to Brussels.
In Kierwiński’s view, the provisions concerning the selection of a commissioner do not apply, arguing that foreign policy is the government’s responsibility under the constitution, and that the law passed the previous year was unconstitutional. He claimed the law conflicts with constitutional order and noted that the Constitutional Tribunal is not functioning at the moment.
Kierwiński later received a reply from PiS MP Piotr Müller, who challenged the notion that the prime minister should act as a sole judge. Müller urged that the law be respected, arguing that it is the prime minister’s duty to follow it, not to bypass it for political theater.
Another participant, former government spokesperson Mateusz Morawiecki, weighed in with a sharper critique, suggesting that Kierwiński appeared to cast himself as an ultimate authority. Sławomir Mentzen of Konfederacja joined the debate, insisting that officials are bound to observe the law regardless of personal preference.
Mentzen asserted that the law is constitutional and that all officials, including the prime minister, are required to follow it. In the meantime, Senator Maciej Żywno from Poland 2050 tried to moderate the conversation, arguing that the president should not oppose Tusk’s decision, though his view did not carry the impact he might have hoped.
The prevailing sentiment among some speakers was that the prime minister’s indications must be accepted by the president to avoid jeopardizing the commissioner’s position.
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coal/Polsat News