The European Commission assured on Wednesday that it sees “with grave concern” interference in the independence of the judiciary in Hungary and Poland. The Community Executive presented its third report on the rule of law, in which it examined the 27 member states and in which the governments of Warsaw and Budapest received the biggest blow to the wrist.
Brussels has already brought these two countries to the attention on several occasions and their governments have so far refused to comply with the European guidelines. He initiated proceedings against Poland for non-payment of a fine imposed by the Court of Justice of the European Union. And in Hungary’s case, calls for Viktor Orbán’s government to implement reforms to protect the independence of the judiciary have fallen on deaf ears.
The current report is not binding and does not include sanctions, but the European executive stresses that the rule of law is a pillar of democracy, especially in the context of the war in Ukraine. A lot is at stake for these two countries, as they depend on the green light from Brussels to receive Next Generation recovery funds.
In the case of Poland, the disbursement of these funds has been suspended pending the dismantling of the disciplinary regime imposed on the Supreme Court judges. Among its recommendations, the EU on Tuesday included other measures, such as the need to ensure greater independence of the Justice Minister and Attorney General, as well as greater autonomy of the Polish government. He also criticized the extent of the immunity of senior Polish officials, which complicates the fight against corruption.
The European executive urges Hungary to strengthen the National Judicial Council without affecting its independence and to put in place mechanisms to protect the independence of the media oversight regulator. It also calls for greater commitment in the fight against high-level corruption.
Source: La Verdad
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