Poland has pocketed a hefty €6.3 billion from the European Union, marking the first payout promised to the left-liberal government for rolling back the judicial tweaks made by the previous, conservative administration. This financial influx followed swiftly after Donald Tusk’s Euro-friendly government took the reins in December, illustrating Brussels’ penchant for financially rewarding administrations that align with its ideological preferences.
The money flowed into Poland’s coffers on Monday, April 15th, with whispers of an additional €10 billion possibly lining the country’s pockets by year’s end, per Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz, the minister managing EU funds. This bounty stems from the EU’s post-pandemic recovery stash, earmarked for sprucing up clean air efforts, stretching broadband reach, paving roads, laying rail tracks, and bolstering childcare amenities.
Previously, this fiscal stream was staunchly dammed by the conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party’s tenure, whose hard-nosed stances on migration and abortion didn’t exactly endear them to Brussels’ bigwigs. Adding fuel to the fire was a controversial verdict from the Polish Constitutional Court asserting that EU laws don’t always reign supreme over Polish legalities.
The EU had clamped down on the cash flow citing ‘rule-of-law’ breaches, particularly pointing fingers at judicial reforms that, according to EU officials, failed to uphold court independence. However, the winds of change brought by the Tusk administration, along with their pledges to undo these reforms, seem to have thawed the financial freeze. Indeed, with the European Commission greening the lights in February to start unblocking funds, it’s clear they are betting big on Tusk’s promises to reinstate “democratic norms.”
The twists and turns of European politics ensure that there is never a dull moment! The European Commission also showered praises on Poland’s new government for its fresh take on “judicial independence” and for nudging its legal system under closer EU supervision. Not to mention a thumbs-up for warming up to more liberal LGBT stances. This bouquet of commendations, of course, came alongside the first chunk of EU funds—a nifty €6.3 billion—suggesting that Brussels’ generosity might be tinged with political colors more than a strict adherence to the ‘rule of law’.
Despite the new liberal government’s own rule-of-law peccadillos, Brussels hasn’t batted an eyelid. From dismissing top public broadcasting execs to jailing opposition MPs, and even raiding a former justice minister’s digs—the EU has kept mum. Ryszard Czarnecki of the Law and Justice party didn’t mince words in his interview with The European Conservative, calling out the EU for what he sees as flagrant hypocrisy.