Polish protest

People hold candles and Polish national fl ags as they take part in a demonstration in front of the Polish Supreme Court on Sunday in Warsaw to protest against the new bill changing the judicial system

Polish President Andrzej Duda said on Monday that he would veto two of three bills passed by parliament in a judicial reform that has triggered nationwide street protests and raised EU and US concerns about politicization of the courts.

Duda is an ally of the ruling rightwing and, although he had threatened to water down one of the bills, his veto of a second bill was a surprise.

“I have decided that I will send back to the Sejm [ lower house of parliament] – which means I will veto – the bill on the Supreme Court, as well as the one on the National Council of the Judiciary,” Duda said.

The move quickly found favor with foreign investors, boosting the Polish currency, the zloty, around 0.7 percent against the euro.

On Saturday, the upper house had given final approval to a bill that would remove all current Supreme Court judges immediately except those hand- picked by the justice minister.

Parliament had earlier passed a bill giving it the right to name most of the members of the National Council of the Judiciary, which would nominate future candidates for the president to appoint to the Supreme Court.

“I’m absolutely a supporter of this reform, but a wise reform,” Duda said in a brief live statement. “As president, I feel deep inside my soul that this reform in this form will not increase the sense of security and justice.”

The overhaul of the judiciary, coupled with a drive by PiS to expand its powers in other areas, including control of the media, has provoked a crisis in relations with the EU and sparked one of the biggest political confl icts since Poland overthrew communism in 1989.

For many days, tens of thousands of protesters have been gathering in cities including Warsaw, Krakow and Poznan for candle- lit vigils, demanding that Duda veto the reforms.

The opposition and most legal experts say the changes violate the Polish constitution.