Former Polish presidents urge EU to defend rule of law
Three former Polish presidents, including anti-communist icon Lech Walesa, on Wednesday urged the EU to defend the rule of law in their country, which they say is under threat from the current right-wing government. Pointing to a reform of the Supreme Court that takes effect on July 3, the leaders accused the Law and Justice (PiS) government of "dismantling the tripartite division of powers in Poland, explicitly violating the Polish Constitution." "The European Union is the last administrative level that can defend the law and order in Poland", the former presidents, who include leftist Aleksander Kwasniewski and liberal Bronislaw Komorowski, said in a statement published in the liberal daily Gazeta Wyborcza. Four former Polish prime ministers, four ex-foreign ministers and several former anti-communist dissidents also added their names to the statement. The signatories appealed "to the European Commission and the Council of the European Union to remain committed to the fundamental principles" contained in the EU treaty that guarantee the rule of law. In December, Brussels triggered an unprecedented procedure that could lead to Warsaw losing its EU voting rights if it presses ahead with reforms deemed to pose a "systemic threat" to the rule of law. EU foreign ministers are due to discuss the issue again on June 26 just ahead of a summit of EU leaders. The PiS government rejects the claims that its reforms dismantle the separation of powers enshrined in EU treaties, insisting instead that the changes are necessary to remove the last vestiges of communism from Poland's justice system. Three former Polish heads of state -- Lech Walesa, Aleksander Kwasniewski and Bronislaw Komorowski -- have urged the EU to defend the rule of law in their country
