EU asks court to fine Poland over judicial independence

BRUSSELS: The European Commission called on Tuesday for daily fines to be imposed on Poland until it suspends measures Brussels sees as attacking judicial independence, moves Warsaw slammed as "aggression" and "a legal hybrid war".

The dispute over Poland’s attempt to impose a new disciplinary system on judges is just one of a series of bitter disputes between the EU and the right-wing government in Warsaw. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki’s government has already accused the EU executive of "blackmail" over a suggestion the bloc could withhold pandemic recovery funds unless Warsaw accepts the primacy of EU law.

Now, the ongoing European court case over the judicial reforms could eventually lead to heavy fines after Warsaw ignored an interim order to suspend the disciplinary measures. "Justice systems across the European Union must be independent and fair," EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement announcing the commission’s decision to pursue enforcement action at the court.

"The rights of EU citizens must be guaranteed in the same way, wherever they live in the European Union." Poland’s Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro hit back on Twitter. "Under the pretext of law, we’re dealing with aggression against Poland... a legal hybrid war," he said.

In July, the European Union’s top court ordered Poland -- as an interim measure -- to suspend its new disciplinary procedures that include a tribunal to oversee the work of judges. Poland’s government said it would make various changes to the package in a letter to the commission on August 20 but did not offer to halt the reform.

"We’re planning certain changes to the judiciary... to make it more effective," government spokesman Piotr Muller said on Tuesday, adding that they plan to introduce the draft laws "this autumn".

He also claimed that most EU members have many months or even years to make adjustments requested by the bloc. "That being the case, the European Commission’s haste when it comes to applying further measures is pretty unusual compared to how they act towards other EU countries," Muller told reporters.