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Proposed EU treaty changes undermine Poland's sovereignty: conservative leader

24.11.2023 12:30
Poland's conservative leader has said that proposed changes to European Union treaties undermine his country's sovereignty and "represent an attempt to abolish the Polish state."
The Law and Justice leader Jarosław Kaczyński.
The Law and Justice leader Jarosław Kaczyński.PAP/Łukasz Gągulski

Jarosław Kaczyński, head of the ruling conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party, made the remark in an interview published on Friday by Polish state news agency PAP.

On Wednesday, the European Parliament adopted a set of proposals to amend EU treaties, a move designed to "give citizens a stronger say and create a more effective EU."

The main proposed changes include abolishing the principle of unanimity in the European Council in 65 policy areas, to be replaced by qualified majority voting; the transfer of powers from member states to the EU, in areas such as foreign affairs, external security and defence; and making the euro the mandatory currency for EU countries, public broadcaster Polish Radio's IAR news agency reported.

Kaczyński said in the interview that the planned amendments to EU treaties "represent an attempt to abolish the Polish state."

He added that Poland would be "run from outside, by Berlin through Brussels," adding that "this is unacceptable."

'Everything would be decided by Brussels, and in fact by Berlin and Paris'

Kaczyński told the PAP news agency that the changes proposed by the European Parliament would "abolish the EU as we know it" and "everything would be decided by Brussels, and in fact by Berlin and Paris."

He noted that nine Polish MEPs had voted in favour of the EU treaty amendments. He accused them of "betraying Poland's national interests."

At the same time, he welcomed the fact that MEPs from Poland's largest opposition party, the Civic Platform (PO), had voted against the proposed EU treaty changes, the PAP news agency reported.

The Civic Platform, led by former Prime Minister Donald Tusk, is part of an alliance of four pro-EU opposition groups that are likely to take power in Poland following last month's parliamentary election.   

Kaczyński vowed that his party would be "constantly reminding" the Polish people "about the dangers" that the planned EU treaty amendments "pose for Poland and its citizens."

(pm/gs)

Source: IAR, PAP