Poland is at a crossroads. The government must listen to the protestors and the European Commission and choose the path of liberal democracy, not increased authoritarianism. That was the message from the S&D Group after a weekend of protests in Warsaw and across Poland over the government’s attempts to weaken checks on their own power. 

S&D Group vice-president Tanja Fajon MEP said:

“Today is an important moment:  the official end of Prof Andrzej Rzepliński's term as president of Poland’s highest constitutional court. Prof Rzepliński has fought until the last moment to preserve the independence and the prerogatives of the court. His departure removes one of the last barriers stopping Law and Justice party (PiS) appointees taking control of the court, which would remove another important check on executive power in Poland.

“We stand by the protestors across Poland who want their country to remain a modern liberal democracy. The attack on the independence of the constitutional court is just one of many measures by the government designed to remove checks on their power and dampen opposition. It goes hand in hand with measures to restrict press freedom and limit access to information for citizens. This is not something that we in the EU can ignore. The Polish government still has a chance to step back from the brink. We urge them to listen to the concerns of the protestors, follow the recommendations of the European Commission and put Poland back on the right track.”