Renew Europe welcomes penalties imposed on the Polish Government for undermining the independence of judges

Renew Europe welcomes the decisions taken today by the European Commission, requesting the European Court of Justice to impose daily penalties on the Polish Government for the non-respect of the court order to suspend the activity of the Disciplinary Chamber.

Renew Europe’s Vice-President Michal Šimečka MEP and shadow rapporteur of the Report on Poland, commented:

“Judicial independence is a core component of liberal democracy that the Commission must defend within the European Union. It is only logical that the persistent violation of this principle by the Polish government must be met with resistance if we want to protect our European community of values.”

Renew Europe has called numerous times for concrete action to fine the Government and to protect the independence of judges in Poland.

The independence of European judges is non-negotiable, and rulings of the European Court of Justice must be respected by all Member States. It is high time to act!