Polish Sejm repeals controversial PiS-era reform of Constitutional Court

The EU criticized the previous Law and Justice government’s changes to the Constitutional Court, which the Polish Parliament finally reverted on September 13.

The Polish Sejm adopted amendments that introduce a new procedure for electing judges of the Constitutional Tribunal. This procedure requires the support of three-fifths of Polish MPs instead of an absolute majority, thereby increasing the weight of the opposition in the process, RMF24 reported.

Candidates for judges of the Constitutional Tribunal of Poland also cannot have been deputies, senators, members of the European Parliament, government, or political party during the previous four years.

Other clauses refer to transitional provisions that repeal existing laws—adopted during the Law and Justice government—relating to the Tribunal’s functioning.

The current government of Donald Tusk introduced a comprehensive reform package for the Constitutional Tribunal with the approved legislative provisions and the resolution adopted in March.

President Andrzej Duda, who is at odds with the current government, has not yet signed the laws passed by the parliament.

The new Polish government accuses its predecessors in Law and Justice of having politicized the Constitutional Tribunal and illegally appointed its judges, including the tribunal’s head, Julia Przylebska.

Following the initial steps taken by the new Polish government to rectify the situation, the European Commission unblocked access to 137 billion euros in EU funds for the country.