The plenary was scheduled to debate and vote on the adoption of a resolution on “Recent developments in Poland and their impact on fundamental rights as laid down in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union”.  

Italian MEP, Barbara Spinelli, comments on the decision: “I totally regret the decision taken today. The Parliament already adopted a resolution on the situation in Poland on April 13 this year, but it focused solely and entirely on the constitutional crisis, disregarding the will of some groups to include other matters of serious concern in that document and discussion.”

“I refer, in particular, to the recent legislative developments in Poland that risk severely undermining fundamental rights and the rule of law, such as: the Broadcasting Act; amendments to the Law on Civil Service; amendments to the Law on the Police; the new Law on the Prosecutor's Office; presidential veto on amendments to the Law on National and Ethnic Minorities and the Law on Regional Languages; proposals to introduce a complete ban on abortion; a proposed new law on terrorism; as well as the decision to increase logging in the Białowieża Forest.

“This decision is even more serious and incomprehensible with regard to the prolonged paralysis of the Constitutional Tribunal and the recent adoption, by the European Commission, of a Rule of Law Opinion expressing concerns for the still ongoing constitutional crisis arising from the amendments to the Law on the Constitutional Tribunal of December 22, 2015.”    

Swedish MEP, Malin Björk, adds: “It's not surprising that the far-right extremists and the established right-wing group, EPP, managed to block the resolution on Poland.”

Referring to the recent proposals from the Polish government to ban abortion, Björk concludes: “This is a serious attack on women's rights and especially on their sexual and reproductive health and rights. This attack requires collective resistance by the democratic forces of this house”.

GUE/NGL Press Contact:

Nikki Sullings  +32 22 83 27 60 / +32 483 03 55 75

Gay Kavanagh +32 473 84 23 20