The most recent judicial appointments took place a few days ago. There were also appointments of judicial assessors, which likewise require the prime minister’s countersignature. So what is your actual position on this? – asked Małgorzata Paprocka, Head of the Presidential Chancellery, addressing the MPs of the ruling coalition.
A significant part of Saturday’s “Breakfast on Trójka” broadcast was dedicated to the state of the judiciary and the recent appointment of Waldemar Żurek as Minister of Justice and Prosecutor General. President Andrzej Duda was represented by Małgorzata Paprocka, the head of his chancellery.
She pointed out what she saw as absurdities in the government’s stance:
“If you ladies say that judicial proceedings need to be expedited, then how do you reconcile that with the intention to remove half the judges from office? We do not have any ‘neo-KRS’ [National Council of the Judiciary], we do not have any ‘neo-judges.’ No such thing exists.”
“I read the draft laws and I listen to the press conferences. I know perfectly well what’s in those drafts,” Paprocka responded, cutting off all further commentary in the studio.
“During two years of Minister Adam Bodnar’s tenure, we’ve had over two thousand vacancies in the courts. No recruitment competitions were held. We have about nine thousand judges and judicial assessors, around half of whom were appointed after 2017,” she enumerated.
She referred to the recent judicial appointments held in the gardens of the Presidential Palace and the green light from Prime Minister Donald Tusk:
“The most recent appointments took place a few days ago. There were also assessor appointments, which also require the prime minister’s countersignature. So what is your actual position on this?”
“If a ruling suits you, even if it’s issued by a judge appointed after 2017, you accept it,” she pointed out, referring to a resolution of the Chamber of Extraordinary Review and Public Affairs of the Supreme Court, which allows parliamentarians to hold their mandates.