Poland’s newly appointed Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Friday pledged to work swiftly to safe billions in funding frozen by Brussels throughout Warsaw’s earlier administration over considerations in regards to the rule of regulation within the nation.
Talking alongside European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen, Tusk mentioned that €5bn of EU funding already launched, which is able to attain Warsaw earlier than the tip of 2023, amounted to “a Christmas current” that will “enhance our power sovereignty”.
Tusk has promised that his pro-EU coalition would search to shortly unwind judicial reforms that had prompted Brussels to freeze extra funds.
“The method has begun and this cash will begin to move to Poland,” Tusk mentioned. “We are going to do our utmost to spend this cash in its correct method.”
Von der Leyen mentioned: “We have to make up [for] misplaced time,” including that “we do must work arduous” to revive the rule of regulation in Poland.
“In view of the actions that you’ve taken up to now and are planning to take, I’m hopeful that collectively we are able to resolve these points,” she informed Tusk. “Relaxation assured that the fee stands by your facet.”
The release of the €5bn was agreed final month and isn’t topic to Poland fulfilling authorized milestones set by Brussels, because it was a part of a package deal of emergency measures linked to power and the inexperienced transition.
However additional funding is contingent on Warsaw unwinding reforms to the judicial system made by the earlier rightwing authorities, which the European Fee has mentioned restricted the independence of judges.
About €60bn of the EU’s pandemic restoration funding had been earmarked for Poland however most of that was then frozen by Brussels over considerations in regards to the reforms.
Tusk additionally mentioned on Friday that Poland would apply to hitch the European Public Prosecutor’s Workplace, which investigates and prosecutes instances of fraud linked to EU finances cash. Poland and Hungary have been among the many handful of nations that beforehand refused to hitch.
“It is a sign that we’re taking the problems of the rule of regulation very critically, additionally with regards to the right use of EU funds,” Tusk mentioned.
Tusk travelled to Brussels on Wednesday, hours after he was sworn into office in Warsaw by President Andrzej Duda.
That adopted a go to by Tusk to Von der Leyen in October, shortly after his pro-EU coalition gained a landmark election. On that journey he pushed for the discharge of the EU funding and sought to reposition Poland on the coronary heart of EU decision-making.
Tusk was first elected prime minister in 2007 and left Poland to develop into president of the European Council between 2014 and 2019. He then returned to Warsaw to renew the management of his Civic Platform celebration and efficiently problem the ruling rightwing Regulation and Justice celebration in October’s election.
“In Poland there was change as a result of Polish attorneys, prosecutors, judges and residents have by no means given their consent to breaking the foundations and by no means agreed to Poland with out the rule of regulation,” Tusk mentioned on Friday.
The preliminary launch of funds, Tusk informed Von der Leyen, “is your resolution, the choice by the European Fee, however the primary authors of this success are all those that by no means surrendered, who fought for the rule of regulation in Poland”.