After a fiery debate, and by 233 votes to 205, with 10 abstentions, the bill to restructure the common courts and make changes in the Supreme Court was passed by the Sejm. The bill now goes to the upper house, the Senate. By a strange coincidence, the European Commission sent a letter to the Polish government asking that the judicial reform be stopped. With more from the Sejm, here’s Aleksandra Zarzycka.
”After a Judicial Parliamentary Commission stormy debate, which lasted 10 long hours until the next morning, and finished around 5 a.m., some amendments were taken into consideration and voted in order to be submitted to the full house for debate. Changes were the result of making sure that the letter of the new bill will comply with EU law. The paragraphs stopping the judges from activities on social media were removed. Also, the letter sent from the Vice President of the European Commission Vera Jourova, appealed to the Polish authorities to stop the proceedings on the bill”- says Aleksandra Zarzycka,TV Republika.
”The letter by the European Commission misses the point. I greatly suspect that someone reported to them about happenings which have no place in Poland, and the European Commission, and I hope not with ill will but because they were misinformed, sent this letter”- says Piotr Muller, spokesperson fot The Polish Government.
”The ruling party in the parliamentary discussion explained step by step the reasons for the reform and it becomes clearer and clearer, that the opposition is defending a group of judges who do not want to reform the Polish judicial system. The majority of Polish citizens say that the judicial system is broken and is badly in need of reform”- says Aleksandra Zarzycka,TV Republika.