About: Poland
Tweets of the Week: Poland Fines, EU Lingo, Brussels Filming
Poland in the dock over rule of law, EU lingo sticks in the craw, and EU bubble greets film crew with awe.
Poland to pay daily fines over judicial reforms; Russia discredits the EU in Mali
This week our podcast focuses on the European Commission’s decision to step up its legal feud with Warsaw by asking the top EU court to impose a daily financial penalty on Poland for its’ non-compliance with temporary measures European...
Commission ups the ante, asks court for financial penalties against Poland
In a highly unusual move in its ongoing legal spat with Poland, the European Commission asked the top EU court on Tuesday (8 September) to impose a daily financial penalty for Warsaw's non-compliance with temporary measures European judges put in place in July.
EU warns Polish regions they could lose funding over ‘LGBT-free’ zones
The European Commission has written to five Polish regional councils urging them to abandon declarations that they are "LGBT-free" in order to receive funding, one of the councils affected confirmed on Monday (6 September).
EU urges markets to ‘keep calm’ as carbon price hits €60 record
A senior European Commission official insisted on delivering “a message of calm” during a EURACTIV event on Thursday (2 September), as CO2 prices rose for the first time above the €60 threshold on the EU carbon market.
Poland, Latvia worry over Russia’s war games on tense EU-Belarus border
Poland and Latvia expressed concern on Thursday (2 September) over Russia's looming military drills held jointly on Belarus' western border where the European Union accuses Minsk of pushing migrants over to put pressure on the bloc.
Commission says it is holding up recovery money for Poland
Poland's challenge to the primacy of European Union law over national law is holding up the release of €57 billion in EU recovery funds to Warsaw, European Economic Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni said on Wednesday (1 September).
Hungary, Poland, Serbia: China’s backdoors to Europe
China benefits from divisions that prevent the EU from forming a unified front against it. That is why relations with EU members Hungary and Poland, as well as with the Western Balkans and Serbia in particular, are getting stronger, writes Antonia Colibasanu.
Jourová meets Polish PM amid tension on rule of law, media freedom
European Commissioner for Values and Transparency, Věra Jourová, visited Poland on Monday and Tuesday (30-31 August), as tensions remain high over rule of law and media freedom in the biggest eastern member state.
EP presses ahead to sue Commission for dragging its feet on rule of law
The main organisational body of the European Parliament has given the go-ahead to continue the drawn-out procedure of suing the executive for failing to activate the budgetary conditionality linking EU funds to rule of law amid doubts over the action's speed and efficacy.
Europe’s rights court tells Poland, Latvia to aid migrants stuck on Belarus border
The European Court of Human Rights on Wednesday (25 August) told Poland and Latvia to provide aid and care for dozens of Afghan and Iraqi migrants stranded on the border with Belarus.
UN refugee agency presses Poland to help migrants on Belarus border
The UN refugee agency UNHCR and rights groups urged Poland to offer medical and legal support and shelter to migrants camping on the border with Belarus, a day after Warsaw said it would build a fence to prevent migrants crossing.
Poland to build fence, double troop numbers on Belarus border
Poland will build a fence along its border with Belarus and double the number of troops there, the defence minister said on Monday (23 August), to halt a flow of migrants the European Union says is being driven by Minsk in retaliation for EU sanctions.
Poland sends troops to Belarus border as migrant numbers surge
Poland has sent more than 900 troops to help secure its border with Belarus, its defence minister said on Wednesday (18 August), after a surge in illegal border crossings.
Polish appeals court dismisses claims against Holocaust book historians
An appeals court ruled that two historians accused of tarnishing the memory of a Polish villager in a book about the Holocaust need not apologise, overturning a lower court ruling that raised fears about freedom of academic research.
Discovery group threatens legal action over Polish media law
US group Discovery has threatened legal action against Poland if it approves a controversial media ownership law that the opposition says will curb press freedom.
Brussels slams Polish bill, urges EU media freedom act
European Commision vice-president for values and transparency Vera Jourová slammed Poland's planned new media law on Thursday and called for an EU act to protect press freedom.
Polish lower house passes media reform bill, which US denounces
Polish lawmakers advanced a bill on Wednesday (11 August) that the opposition says aims to silence a US-owned news channel critical of the government, leading to a swift denunciation from the United States, one of Warsaw's most important allies.
Latvia, Lithuania take emergency action over Belarus border
Latvia on Tuesday (10 August) declared a local state of emergency along its border with Belarus, as Lithuanian lawmakers approved the construction of a fence to stem an influx of illegal migrants.
Polish PM fires deputy as ruling alliance disintegrates
Poland's prime minister dismissed the head of a junior coalition partner from government on Tuesday (10 August), creating uncertainty over the future of an administration that has set Warsaw on a collision course with the European Union.
EU Commission says to analyse Poland’s dissolution of disciplinary chamber
The European Commission will analyse Poland's decision to scrap a disciplinary system for judges which critics say is a tool to pressure judges, the European Commission said on Tuesday.
Poland to dissolve judges’ Disciplinary Chamber to meet EU demands
Poland will do away with a disciplinary system for judges which the EU's top court has ruled violates EU law, the head of the ruling PiS party said, in a bid to diffuse a row that could result in financial penalties against the country.
Poland should not stay in EU at all costs, says minister
Poland should not remain a member of the European Union at all costs, the justice minister said in an interview published on Friday, as he railed against what he called "blackmail" from the bloc over Poland's judicial reforms.