“I hope that already in December, at the parliamentary stage, we will be able to show that these are good solutions that ease the conflict,” said Waldemar Żurek, the minister of justice, when asked about the prepared Rule of Law Act and the National Council of the Judiciary (KRS). He also stressed that, in his view, the proposals regarding the KRS are “very compromise.”
The Rule of Law Act. Żurek: These Are Good Solutions
Waldemar Żurek gave an interview to Rzeczpospolita, in which he was asked how his alleged “restoration of the rule of law” in Poland was progressing.
“The past months show that trust in the justice system is increasing. The second pillar of restoring the rule of law is legislative projects. We are writing them as fast as we can. We have already presented two projects – the Rule of Law Act and the National Council of the Judiciary Act,” boasted the head of the Ministry of Justice.
When asked about a possible veto from President Nawrocki, Żurek began to argue that there are allegedly “no specific objections, nothing the president clearly dislikes.”
“I hope that already in December, at the parliamentary stage, we will be able to show that these are good solutions that ease the conflict,” he insisted.
He also announced that the Rule of Law Act would most likely be submitted to the Sejm in December.
“This is an express pace, but we are standing on our heads to make it happen. We want to give the president the bill as soon as possible, so he can face it. It will not lead to anyone being thrown out on the street. The system works. ‘Neojudges’ are still applying in competitions. Those who previously were not able to apply for political reasons can also apply,” he stated.
He further said that the solutions he proposes in the act regarding the National Council of the Judiciary (KRS) are “very compromise.” The idea is that only judges would once again elect judges to the KRS, meaning a return to the system in place before 2017.
“All judges vote, but we are maintaining a principle consistent with the rulings of European courts and our constitution. Judges elect the judicial component, all of them. Every judge will have 15 votes and will be able to cast them, including district court judges. We significantly strengthen the participation of district judges, as we foresee six seats for them in the new, legal KRS. We are introducing public hearings of candidates for the KRS,” said Żurek.
Żurek on the CJEU Ruling on Same-Sex Marriages: “We Will Comply”
At the end of November, the Court of Justice of the European Union issued a ruling that may significantly affect the existing Polish legal order. The CJEU stated that EU member states must recognize same-sex marriages concluded in other EU countries – even when local law, as in Poland, defines marriage exclusively as a relationship between a woman and a man. The starting point for this ruling was a case of two men who married in Berlin and demanded that their marriage be entered into Polish civil registry records.
Asked in the interview about the ruling, Żurek declared: “We will comply with this ruling.”
“Is it necessary to amend the law, the provisions of the Civil Status Records Act (ustawa o aktach stanu cywilnego), so that we can register these unions concluded abroad? Analyses are ongoing. But let’s not confuse concepts. Some people are trying to gain political capital by claiming that same-sex marriages will now be concluded in Poland. That will not happen, because the Polish constitution protects the marriage of a man and a woman. There are no plans for legislative changes at this moment. We need to educate society and show that we are part of a legal, common, EU framework. If someone lived somewhere where they concluded a legal marriage and then moved to Poland, Poland should reflect that in its records – and it definitely will. We will discuss within the government how to implement this. The rulings of European courts are binding,” he said.
How Poles Evaluate Żurek – Poll Results
A poll was recently published examining how Poles assess Waldemar Żurek’s “achievements” as minister of justice. The survey was conducted by IBRiS for Rzeczpospolita. It showed that only 32.4 percent of respondents believe that Żurek is performing his duties well (including 11.7 percent who believe he is doing “definitely well”).
Meanwhile, 45.1 percent of respondents had a negative opinion, with as many as 33.6 percent expressing strong disapproval. It is also worth noting that 22.5 percent of those surveyed were unable to give a clear answer.
The data shows that real support for Minister Żurek’s actions exists mainly among voters of the parties forming the 13 December Coalition (KO, New Left, Polska 2050 Party, and PSL). Among their supporters, as many as 91.8 percent view his actions positively.