THE GUARDIAN
Street protests in Poland
This week, after eight days of nationwide street protests, the president, Andrzej Duda, surprised many by appearing to break ranks with the ruling party over its intention to place the judiciary fully under its control. Duda vetoed two key pieces of legislation aimed at wiping out the independence of the Supreme Court and giving parliament control over the body that hires judges. His motives remain a matter of speculation. The bills, he explained, “would not strengthen the sense of justice in society”. Duda had up until then sided with every government move to curtail independent institutions. Was this a genuine U-turn, or a tactical retreat?