https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-58840076
The unprecedented challenge made by Poland's prime minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, to one of the European Union's core legal principles has seriously escalated his government's dispute with Brussels. And it has fuelled concerns that Poland is heading towards the door, described as "Polexit".
France says such an exit is now a "de facto risk". Late on Friday the French and German foreign ministers rebuked Poland, saying EU membership relied upon "complete and unconditional adherence to common values and rules" and this was "not simply a moral commitment. It is also a legal commitment".
The European Commission has warned it will use all its powers against Poland.
On Thursday, Poland's Constitutional Tribunal ruled that key articles of one of the EU's primary treaties were incompatible with Polish law, in effect rejecting the principle that EU law has primacy over national legislation in certain judicial areas.
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Jacek Karnowski, editor-in-chief of the pro-government Sieci weekly, told the BBC that Polexit was "unimaginable and unrealistic", although he said the topic was now a matter of discussion.
Poland, like the UK, was a proud independent nation, he said, but "much weaker, unhappily".
The PiS mainstream believed Poland must defend its sovereignty and not be treated as a second-class member, he said.
He sees Brussels as the aggressor, overstepping its powers and inventing new tools to constrain Poland to roll back the reforms.
"Government officials feel they are being cheated by Brussels. Thursday's ruling was decided in some sense by the EU's position," he said.
In his opinion Brussels has set Poland a trap.
"There is a possibility that Poland will be pushed out of the EU because we can already see that we are being pushed out."
He says Warsaw is being offered a choice of either being a "legal colony" of Brussels or of leaving the EU.
"If the government were to say we want to leave, there would be a change of government, so it's a trap set by Brussels."
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The unprecedented challenge made by Poland's prime minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, to one of the European Union's core legal principles has seriously escalated his government's dispute with Brussels. And it has fuelled concerns that Poland is heading towards the door, described as "Polexit".
France says such an exit is now a "de facto risk". Late on Friday the French and German foreign ministers rebuked Poland, saying EU membership relied upon "complete and unconditional adherence to common values and rules" and this was "not simply a moral commitment. It is also a legal commitment".
The European Commission has warned it will use all its powers against Poland.
On Thursday, Poland's Constitutional Tribunal ruled that key articles of one of the EU's primary treaties were incompatible with Polish law, in effect rejecting the principle that EU law has primacy over national legislation in certain judicial areas.
---
Jacek Karnowski, editor-in-chief of the pro-government Sieci weekly, told the BBC that Polexit was "unimaginable and unrealistic", although he said the topic was now a matter of discussion.
Poland, like the UK, was a proud independent nation, he said, but "much weaker, unhappily".
The PiS mainstream believed Poland must defend its sovereignty and not be treated as a second-class member, he said.
He sees Brussels as the aggressor, overstepping its powers and inventing new tools to constrain Poland to roll back the reforms.
"Government officials feel they are being cheated by Brussels. Thursday's ruling was decided in some sense by the EU's position," he said.
In his opinion Brussels has set Poland a trap.
"There is a possibility that Poland will be pushed out of the EU because we can already see that we are being pushed out."
He says Warsaw is being offered a choice of either being a "legal colony" of Brussels or of leaving the EU.
"If the government were to say we want to leave, there would be a change of government, so it's a trap set by Brussels."
Anything to see here?
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