Are the rifts growing between Poland and the EU?

Tensions continue to mount in the row over Poland's judicial reform. The government in Warsaw on Monday failed to observe a deadline set by the EU Commission and announced that in its view criticism of the reform was baseless. Europe's journalists voice concern over the conflict between Warsaw and the Commission.

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Rzeczpospolita (PL) /

Keep the troublemakers out of the row

A further escalation of the conflict could have fatal consequences, Rzeczpospolita warns, demanding a change of course:

“Although Jarosław Kaczyński has reaffirmed that Poland belongs in the EU, the policies adopted by his party's government have only deepened the rifts between our country and the bloc. David Cameron, who toyed with the Brexit supporters, also didn't want to leave the EU. But he allowed social and political emotions to develop which have led to Brexit. Consequently, those who are only exacerbating this conflict should be taken off the case. Perhaps it would be better if someone other than Frans Timmermans dealt with matters relating to Poland, and if the PiS didn't involve its fiercest Eurosceptics in its dealings with Brussels.”

Le Figaro (FR) /

Ostracising Poland undermines European project

In the view of Patrick Edery of Partenaire Europe, a consulting firm specialising in Central and Eastern Europe, Macron and the Vice President of the EU Commission Frans Timmermans are pushing for a change of government in Poland because this would work in favour of the party of EU Council President Donald Tusk:

“All three come from the same political camp. There's no need to stress that the arguments for excluding Poland from the EU are biased - or in any event contestable. Furthermore, is such a clear will on the part of Europe's leading politicians to bring into line countries that don't share their views (Greece, Hungary and now Poland) - in the middle of the Brexit process - not counterproductive for the European project? Won't it make Europe's citizens even more wary of a democracy deficit in the EU institutions?”