The decision, previewed earlier this month and formalised on Wednesday morning, ends a long-running saga that dates back to December 2017 when the European Commission triggered Article 7 — known as the “nuclear option” because it can lead to the suspension of voting rights — over Poland’s systematic erosion of judicial independence.
The clash stemmed from the sweeping reforms introduced by the hard-right Law and Justice (PiS) party, which rearranged the structure of courts, cut short the mandate of sitting judges and promoted party-friendly appointees to top positions.
The Commission fought hard against the overhaul, arguing it debased the separation of powers, hindered the correct application of EU law, left investors unprotected and endangered cooperation with other member states.
Undeterred, the PiS-led government pushed through its plans and passed another controversial reform that empowered the disciplinary chamber of the Supreme Court to punish magistrates according to the content of their rulings.
Hungary, which is still subject to Article 7 and unable to access recovery funds, has taken exception to the Commissin’s fast pace, questioning why the decision was based on political commitments rather than waiting for the final result of the “action plan.”
“The Commission’s assessment seems to be a purely political product that confirms double standards and goes blatantly against its previous position in rule of law-related issues,” Bóka János, Hungary’s minister for EU affairs, has said.
The original article contains 607 words, the summary contains 226 words. Saved 63%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!
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The decision, previewed earlier this month and formalised on Wednesday morning, ends a long-running saga that dates back to December 2017 when the European Commission triggered Article 7 — known as the “nuclear option” because it can lead to the suspension of voting rights — over Poland’s systematic erosion of judicial independence.
The clash stemmed from the sweeping reforms introduced by the hard-right Law and Justice (PiS) party, which rearranged the structure of courts, cut short the mandate of sitting judges and promoted party-friendly appointees to top positions.
The Commission fought hard against the overhaul, arguing it debased the separation of powers, hindered the correct application of EU law, left investors unprotected and endangered cooperation with other member states.
Undeterred, the PiS-led government pushed through its plans and passed another controversial reform that empowered the disciplinary chamber of the Supreme Court to punish magistrates according to the content of their rulings.
Hungary, which is still subject to Article 7 and unable to access recovery funds, has taken exception to the Commissin’s fast pace, questioning why the decision was based on political commitments rather than waiting for the final result of the “action plan.”
“The Commission’s assessment seems to be a purely political product that confirms double standards and goes blatantly against its previous position in rule of law-related issues,” Bóka János, Hungary’s minister for EU affairs, has said.
The original article contains 607 words, the summary contains 226 words. Saved 63%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!