Poland could exit EU over judicial reform clash

WARSAW: Poland could end up leaving the European Union because of plans by the ruling nationalists that would allow judges to be fired if they question the legitimacy of the government’s judicial reforms, the Supreme Court said on Tuesday.

The court said the plans could contravene European law and exacerbate existing tensions between Brussels and Poland’s ruling Law and Justice party (PIS).

“Contradictions between Polish law and EU law... will in all likelihood lead to an intervention by the EU institutions regarding an infringement of the EU treaties, and in the longer perspective (will lead to) the need to leave the European Union,” Poland’s Supreme Court said in a statement.

The EU has accused PIS of politicising the judiciary since the party swept to power in 2015. Pis says its reforms are necessary to make the court system more efficient.

Under draft legislation now before parliament, PIS aims to prevent judges from ruling that that peers, nominated by a panel appointed by the party, are not independent.

“The Commission has a very clear position on protecting the judiciary from political interference,” European Commission spokesman Christian Wigand told Reuters in response to the Supreme Court statement.

“The Commission continues to follow the situation closely. We remain ready and available to discuss with the Polish authorities ways forward to resolving the issues at hand.” — Reuters