An EU-Poland Truce on Judicial Reforms Would Leave Bigger Questions Unanswered

Resolving its judicial dispute with the European Union would grant Poland billions of euros worth of EU funding, but the larger question surrounding the primacy of EU law in the country will continue to create political and economic uncertainty. On Oct. 28, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Brussels will approve Poland’s plans to use money from the bloc’s COVID-19 recovery fund if Warsaw dismantles a controversial disciplinary chamber that supervises the work of judges and prosecutors. Von der Leyen noted she hoped to reach such an agreement and thinks it’s “doable,” but the suspension of the chamber -- which critics say undermines the independence of Poland’s judiciary -- was absolutely necessary. ...