EU Urges Poland to Suspend Judicial Changes Or Face Sanctions

The European Commission has called on Poland to suspend controversial judicial reforms it said would "have a very significant negative impact" on the Polish judiciary's independence, or face unprecedented sanctions as early as next week, RFE/RL reports.

"We will swiftly prepare infringement procedures for breach of EU law … to be launched next week," The European Commission's First Vice-President Frans Timmermans said on July 19 after a meeting of the Commission in Brussels.

Since winning an election in 2015, the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party has sought to step up government influence over courts and prosecutors as well as state media.

Last week parliament, which is controlled by the PiS, adopted judicial reforms that the opposition and others see as a threat to the separation of powers.

The legislation would give the politically appointed justice...

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