The European Commission could release funds from the European Union Cohesion Fund intended for Poland, but so far frozen, even if the conservative Polish President Andrzej Duda vetoes the bills requested by the Commission.
Donald Tusk, the centrist politician who became Polish prime minister last month, promised during the election campaign to reverse the judicial reforms of the conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party, which caused the freezing of European Union funds destined for Poland.
To release the funds, the Polish government must meet specific conditions set by the European Commission, reversing the previous government’s judicial reform. The problem is that Polish President Andrzej Duda, a former PiS member, can veto government bills, and the government does not have the necessary 60% majority in the lower house of parliament to override the veto.
However, Tusk and the European Commission hope that Duda will not veto the laws.
“We are trying to achieve the goals within our institutional framework: we have a government that is fully committed to the rule of law and a president who is sometimes not. And the Commission understands that,” Tusk said.
“Making a decision is the president’s prerogative,” said the commission’s vice president, Vera Jourova, adding that from conversations with Duda she got the sense that the Polish president was ready to consider announcing the laws.
While Duda will continue to veto necessary laws, the European Commission and the Polish government are considering alternative solutions, people familiar with the matter told the Financial Times.
“We have received confirmation from the European Commission: Poland has fulfilled the last three conditions for the full use of the structural funds: 76 billion euros for the implementation of the programs until 2027,” wrote Katarzyna Pelczynska-Nalecz, Polish Funds Minister community and regional. Policy, on the X social network.
The funds in question come from the EU Cohesion Fund and it is unclear when and to what extent they will be released. However, €35.4 billion of European Recovery Fund loans and direct grants to Poland are linked to the adoption of specific laws on judicial reform.
However, the Commission and Warsaw are also working on a “mix of legislative and non-legislative measures” to unlock these funds. Poland would need the release of these funds until 2026, which is the latest time to use them.
This is a politically sensitive issue for the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who would not like to raise suspicions about preferential treatment in solving Poland’s problems.
“It would be very harmful for the Commission to release funds based only on Polish promises,” said Jakub Jaraczewski, an analyst at the nonprofit Democracy Reporting International.
2024-01-19 18:47:00
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