European Parliament votes to trigger Article 7 against Poland

European media widely report on the fact that MEPs yesterday adopted a resolution giving the Civil Liberties Committee (LIBE) the authority to propose a triggering of Article 7 of the European Treaty against Poland, with 438 votes to 152, and 71 abstentions. This means that Poland could lose its voting rights, should the triggering be approved by the EU Member States and the European Commission. Indeed, the European Parliament considers that judicial reforms in Poland generate a risk of “grave violations” of the European Union’s fundamental values and justify the launch of a sanctions procedure against the country, HotNews.ro reports. According to the resolution, the independence of law, media and freedom of opinion in Poland are being threatened. The European Parliament’s resolution urges the Polish authorities to fully implement all recommendations of the European Commission and the Venice Commission, a legal watchdog of the Council of Europe, the Croatian media notes.

Article 7 might ultimately lead to the suspension of Poland’s voting rights in the Council, should the Polish government refuse to comply with the European Union’s recommendations on the respect of the rule of law, Radio Renascença indicates in Portugal. However, Hungary and Poland could protect each other from article 7 with their vetoes, Thomas Otto points out on Deutschlandfunk. Indeed, Hungarian media outlets report that Hungarian Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjén said Hungary will veto the decision. Moreover, the European Parliament is weakened by internal divisions: the situation in Malta has led to the European People’s Party (EPP) accusing the European social democrats of siding with the local government, Thomas Otto adds.

During the plenary, First Vice-President Timmermans confirmed that Poland is unwilling to dialogue with the Commission. ALDE Chair Guy Verhofstadt said that Poland degraded itself to the level of Orbán’s gang and the illiberal states, instead of being a leading European country, Népszava moreover reports in Hungary. According to Swedish MEP Fredrick Federley (ALDE), while Article 7 has never been activated before, it is now time to act against Poland’s violations of the rule of law, Aftonbladed.se reports.

Writing in Tageszitung Eric Bonse also laments that European values get “trampled” in Hungary and Poland, and that the European Commission has obtained no results with its procedures to restore the rule of law. An article in the New York Times analyses the march of far-right nationalists in Warsaw and notes that a feeling of alienation in a globalised world has encouraged neo-fascism in Europe and the U.S. De Tijd moreover mentions that First Vice-President Timmermans answered MEP Gerolf Annemans (ENF) after he attacked the support of socialists to the Soviet Union, declaring: “Maybe he should look at his own movement’s history before discussing that of other movements.”

Meanwhile, Law and Justice (PiS) MEPs left the session and Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydło called Wednesday’s vote ‘outrageous’, TVN notes in Poland. Gazeta Polska Codziennie denounces a popular anti-Polish rhetoric on the part of First Vice-President Timmermans and MEPs. The newspaper points to MEP Guy Verhofstadt, who attacked the recent Independence March in Poland by calling its participants fascists, neo-Nazis and white supremacists and describes as “scandalous” the fact that Civic Platform (PO) MEPs applauded the ALDE leader’s declaration.

The Polish Foreign Ministry stated that the decision is a consequence of political pressure, according to Hungarian outlets Magyar Hírlap, Magyar Nemzet, vs.hu and Kossuth Rádió. Magyar Hírlap and Magyar Idők add that MEPs from Hungarian parties Fidesz and KDNP did not support the decision, saying it is unacceptable for MEPs to ignore the principle of subsidiarity and intervene in national affairs. Rzeczpospolita further reports that Ryszard Legutko, Head of the PiS delegation, harshly criticised the resolution, claiming the actions of the European Commission are illegal. Furthermore, he called First Vice-President Timmermans biased, as he did not react to the infringement of the rule of law in Spain.

Krzysztof Szczerski, Chief of the Cabinet at the President’s Chancellery, moreover told Rzeczpospolita that Brussels’ attitude towards Poland is based on emotions and shaped by political interests, while the European Commission should act as a neutral referee. The European Commission is still hesitating to invoke Article 7, Kurier says in Austria. “There are many countries that are hesitant,” says EU expert Stefan Lehne of think tank Carnegie Europe. After the European Commission’s letters remained unanswered, First Vice-President Timmermans threatened to revoke Poland’s vote in the Council of Ministers, but he has been silenced by Chancellor Angela Merkel among others, Eric Bonse notes in Tageszeitung.

MEP Othmar Karas (EPP) says that the “credibility of the whole EU is at risk,” Kurier further reports. In France, L’Opinion reports that a qualified majority of EU Member States could also trigger the process to impose sanctions against the country, but the European Commission, preferring the diplomatic option, has so far refused to adopt this strategy. The EU also has the option of reducing financial support to the country, the daily adds. The European Parliament has also clearly expressed its worries about the rule of law in Malta, putting pressure on its government, media outlets such as Süddeutsche Zeitung note.