As is widely known, the President of the Republic of Poland, Karol Nawrocki, does not support the actions of Waldemar Żurek, the Minister of Justice, regarding the alleged “restoration of the rule of law.” Speculation is mounting that the Polish head of state will veto the so-called “rule of law bill.” However, it turns out the President has a plan of his own.
In recent days, the proposal of the so-called rule of law bill presented by Waldemar Żurek, the Minister of Justice, has been criticized by broad circles of the legal community and deemed an attempt to implement the demands of the most radical and politically engaged group of judges.
Prof. Ryszard Piotrowski, a constitutional law expert, pointed out several issues with Żurek’s draft, noting that it is directly inconsistent with the Constitution of the Republic of Poland. “It is inconsistent with the Constitution in many provisions. Above all, it violates the principle of the separation of powers by giving the executive such authority over the judiciary. But it is also unconstitutional in the sense that it breaches the principle of integrity and efficiency in the functioning of public institutions,” said Prof. Piotrowski.
On Friday, President Karol Nawrocki, responding to a question about the Minister of Justice’s proposal, which Żurek has described as “a compromise,” stated that “what Minister Żurek has done recently is hardly encouraging.”
“He blatantly breaks the law and the Constitution, so Minister Żurek’s proposals will, of course, be analyzed by the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland (KPRP). However, the Minister’s recent conduct has not shown that he wishes to be a partner in dialogue with the President of Poland. This should never have happened,” said the President.
This response suggests that if the bill reaches the President’s desk, it will likely be met with his veto.
President vs. Żurek
What decision will the President make regarding Żurek’s bill? That remains unknown… But on TVN24, the Head of the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland, Zbigniew Bogucki, revealed the President’s plans, which may serve as a kind of response to the Minister of Justice’s actions.
“If the groups currently in power adhere to the Constitution and the law, then we can talk about other solutions. The President will certainly present such solutions within the next few weeks. These will be solutions regarding the judiciary, for which the President has a mandate resulting from his electoral victory,” he said.