Opposition To Work Together On Court Law, President Noncommittal On Support For Bill

Poland's main opposition parties will work together in scrutinising a court bill tabled in parliament by the ruling Law and Justice in a bid to secure access to EU recovery funds. According to Onet news portal, the largest opposition groups are planning to act on a commonly agreed instruction when the bill is put to the vote. At the same time, they are ruling out any negotiations with Law and Justice when it comes to debating amendments.

• The ruling party relies on support from at least some opposition lawmakers to pass the bill and unblock EU funding after junior coalition party Solidarna Polska announced that it would vote against the legislation.
• President Andrzej Duda struck some surprisingly hawkish notes in his address on the matter, as he noted that he played no role in preparing the court bill or negotiating with the EU. He added that he had only seen the draft bill yesterday and was not aware of who exactly approved the European Commission's demands.
• Instead of echoing Prime Minister Morawiecki's call for the swift adoption of the bill, Duda emphasised the need to preserve Poland's sovereignty in reforming its judicial system and said he would not agree to any external interference in the process, even as he sees access to EU funds as an important matter.
• Note that Duda holds a veto power over any legislation, which can only be overruled by a 3/5 majority in the lower house of parliament. He can also send a bill for review to the Constitutional Court, with some legal experts voicing their reservations about the proposed court law.