Polish PM: We Entrust EU With Many Laws, But Not Everything

Polish PM Mateusz Morawiecki now responding to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's speech to the EU parliament plenary session.

• Morawiecki states that on the EU, 'here we are, here is our place and we are not going anywhere'.
• 'We cannot remain silent when our country is being attacked in this Chamber in an unfair and biased way. The rules of the game must be the same for everyone. It is unacceptable to expand EU competences...[with] language of financial blackmail'
• 'EU law precedes national law to the level of law and this principle in the areas granted such a principle applies in EU countries [...] but the Constitution remains the supreme law. We have entrusted the EU with many areas, but we have not entrusted everything
• The speeches from both Polish and EU sides are setting up for a difficult and testing Council summit from Thursday onwards.
• Both sides in a difficult position. Poland is the largest net recipient of EU structural funding, and will not want to see this reduced. For the EU, if it goes too hard at Poland in responding to rule of law concerns it risks alienating the bloc's largest eastern member state at a time when EU unity on politics and security is strained.