Poland has taken steps to address concerns about judicial independence and has committed to implementing European court judgments related to the rule of law, leading the European Commission to end its long-standing legal action against the country. This decision removes the possibility of Poland facing a suspension of its EU membership rights, which has never been enforced against any EU country.
On May 21, EU member states’ European affairs ministers will discuss the commission’s assessment of Poland’s progress. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described this development as a new chapter for Poland, attributing the change in status to the country’s efforts in enacting reforms. The legal proceedings against Poland were initiated in 2017 due to concerns over judicial independence under the then-incumbent government, led by the nationalist Law and Justice Party (PiS). In February, Poland’s new centrist government, headed by former European Council president Donald Tusk, proposed a reform plan that led to the commission’s decision to end the proceedings. Tusk’s coalition defeated the PiS in a general election on October 15.
After Poland presented its reform plan, the commission reversed a 2022 decision that suspended Poland’s access to significant portions of the EU budget, including “cohesion” funds that support less-wealthy member states. The move by Tusk’s government was seen as an olive branch towards Brussels and an effort to repair relations between Warsaw and Berlin.