Deputies of Poland’s Prosecutor General, Adam Bodnar, have issued a letter to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, calling for concrete actions in response to what they describe as a breach of the rule of law in Poland. The letter, also addressed to Members of the European Parliament, highlights the silence of the European Commission in the face of blatant violations of the rule of law in Poland, despite repeated warnings in recent years.
The Polish legal system has been embroiled in a state of chaos in the aftermath of unusual decisions made by Justice Minister Adam Bodnar in the government of Donald Tusk. On Friday, Minister of Justice Adam Bodnar, who also serves as the Prosecutor General, announced the cessation of the role of the first deputy, Dariusz Barski, as the national prosecutor. Speculation suggests that this abrupt action is linked to investigations into various activities of the Tusk government, including attacks on public media.
Several deputies of Prosecutor General Bodnar, who also serves as the Prosecutor General, have expressed clear opposition to these measures. In response, the National Prosecutor’s Office issued a statement today, disclosing that they have sent a letter to President Ursula von der Leyen, urging immediate actions to prevent violations of Polish law. The statement notes the disconcerting silence within EU structures regarding the unfolding events in Poland.
The letter to the European Commission emphasizes that representatives of the European Commission have consistently raised concerns about the rule of law in Poland in recent years. However, it criticizes the Commission for maintaining silence when these rule-of-law principles are openly flouted.
The justification provided in the statement points out that actions taken by Prosecutor General Adam Bodnar may jeopardize the economic interests of the European Union, particularly related to the free movement of capital among member countries and significant economic engagement in Poland. The statement underscores that the prosecution in Poland actively pursues crimes detrimental to the EU, such as embezzlement from the EU budget and VAT fraud.
The deputies of the Prosecutor General are urging representatives of the European community and the executive bodies of the European Union to take appropriate actions to prevent violations of the law in Poland. They stress that while democratic countries have the right to initiate legislative changes to state authorities, such actions must comply with existing legal provisions, as outlined in the National Prosecutor’s statement.
The statement strongly condemns the attempts by Minister of Justice and Prosecutor General Adam Bodnar to remove the First Deputy Prosecutor General and National Prosecutor, Dariusz Barski, from office. It argues that these actions, contrary to legal provisions, create a state of destabilization within the Polish prosecutor’s office. The deputies highlight that such actions could significantly diminish the level of legal protection for Polish citizens in the European Union, and EU citizens in Poland, and compromise the internal security of the country and its citizens.