Poland slams EU’s ‘outrageous’ warning — RT World News
Prime Minister Morawiecki slammed Ursula von der Leyen for suggesting Brussels has tools to punish member states
A warning from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen that Brussels has the tools to discipline Italy if its future centre-right government does not cooperate with the EU has been « scandalous, » according to Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.
The remark was a wake-up call for member states, the Polish prime minister said on Sunday, quoted by the official PAP news agency.
“Is this the kind of Europe we want? Is this democracy and the rule of law? Let the Eurocrats in Brussels decide what a government should be? asked Morawiecki.
He was responding to von der Leyen’s suggestion that if Italy’s new government failed to meet EU political expectations, the country could be disciplined.
The senior official said « whatever democratic government is willing to work with us, we work together », adding that « If things go in a difficult direction, I talked about Hungary and Poland, we have tools. »
Von der Leyen spoke about Italy at Princeton University on Thursday, after it was suggested that people friendly to Russia could come to power in Rome after Sunday’s election. He was asked what EU leaders plan to do about it. Morawiecki interpreted this remark as a promise to punish Italy, unless its new government is “in favor of Brussels.
European Commission spokesman Eric Mamer said the president’s remarks were not an attempt to interfere in Italy’s domestic politics, but rather aimed to underline the role of the body. “as guardian of the [European] rule of law treaties.
A centre-right coalition led by Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy (FI) party is set to form a new cabinet following snap elections in the country. The result was in line with opinion polls ahead of the poll.
In mid-September, the European Commission recommended suspending some €7.5 billion in emergency funding to Hungary due to an alleged erosion of the rule of law in the country. A similar sentence was meted out to Poland last year for controversial judicial reforms passed by its conservative government.
You can share this story on social media:
rt
