End of the EU? Poland no longer has faith in the 'impartiality of Brussels institutions'
POLAND no longer has faith in the "impartiality of EU institutions", the country's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs has said during a controversial interview certain to stoke the escalating row between his country and Brussels.
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Pawel Jablonski's remarks come days after the governments of Poland and Hungary blocked the EU's £1.6 trillion budget - including its £677trillion coronavirus rescue package. Both countries are currently the subject of EU investigations for undermining judicial independence, and face the prospect of losing access to tens of billions of euros - prompting their decision to use their vetoes.
Political differences should not be used as a justification for undertaking financial sanctions
Speaking to the Spanish newspaper El Pais, Mr Jablonski said: "Since 2016, the Commission rejects any measure adopted by our Government. We have been this way since 2016.
"They do not treat Poland the same as other Member States with very similar regulations. And others are not punished.
"Political differences should not be used as a justification for undertaking financial sanctions.
"After four years, we no longer have any confidence in the impartiality of these institutions."
Explaining Poland's decision to exercise its veto, he added: "If we validate this economic package, the European Commission would obtain great power, which is not even included in European Treaties, to punish countries.
"It could be used for purely political reasons against Poland and Hungary.
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Political differences should not be used as a justification for undertaking financial sanctions
"If we unblock the European budget on these terms, without negotiating, the next day the Commission could start the process that would effectively block all funds for Poland.
He added: "Clearly, we want to negotiate. In recent weeks we have tried to do so, but unfortunately we have seen that the northern European countries are the ones that most defend the conditionality criterion, and also seek a conflict with the countries of Central and Southern Europe.
"We believe that a compromise is possible, but that agreement must be based on finding a solution that can unite us, not delving into the differences between Member States.
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In a reference to the European Court of Justice which will strike a chord with Brexiteers such as Nigel Farage, he added: "We also don’t agree with any attempt, even by the Luxembourg Court, to use powers that do not belong to the EU or are included in the treaties, but that belong to the Member States, such as the organisation of the judicial system of a country.
"Spain or Germany have judicial systems in which magistrates are also chosen by political criteria and they are not questioned, which we respect. But the Commission should not punish anyone."
Mr Jablonski's remarks come days after Hungary's Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, launched a scathing attack on the EU on state radio in which he accused Brussels of "blackmail on an ideological basis without objective criteria".
He added: "This is not what we wanted - we did not create the EU for having a second Soviet Union."
Both Hungary and Poland have been strongly criticised for their decision, not least by billionaire philanthropist George Soros.
The Hungarian-born financier, who backs a wide variety of progressive causes via his Open Society Foundation, this week claimed the budget veto was "a desperate gamble by two serial violators" and a bib by Viktor Orban and "to a lesser extent" Jaroslaw Kaczynski to oppose EU’s attempts at placing "a practical limit on personal and political corruption".
He said there was now "practically no way the opposition can prevail", suggesting Mr Orban "exercises almost total control over the countryside where the majority of the population lives".
Speaking earlier this week in reference to Angela Merkel, who as German leader currently holds the EU's rotating presidency, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, said of the veto decision: ""We're now working with the rotating presidency who's leading the efforts to find a solution.
"We all know that millions of European businesses and citizens are waiting for the answer in the midst of this unprecedented crisis.
"The strength of our union has always been to overcome difficult situations by engaging with each other so we continue to work hard to reach an agreement soon."
(Additional reporting by Maria Ortega)