European Parliament calls for election observation mission to Poland - Quote from Tineke Strik MEP

Today, MEPs have just voted on a resolution on ‘The electoral law, the investigative committee and the rule of law in Poland’. The Polish government has recently brought about changes to the electoral law, which could harm free elections, as well as a so-called investigative committee into Russian interference, which could be used to attack opposition politicians as well as civil society at large. The Greens/EFA Group recently initiated a cross-party call for a full-scale OSCE election observation mission to Poland, for the elections expected to take place this October or November. 

Tineke Strik MEP, Greens/EFA Group shadow rapporteur on the resolution, comments: 

“The electoral law and the investigative committee are both dangerous tools that can be used by the ruling PiS party to undermine free and fair elections in Poland and to silence critical voices. With these news rules we can not be sure that elections will take place in accordance with European democratic standards. It is essential that the OSCE launches a full-scale election observation mission to Poland. 

“Unfortunately, the Polish government’s new Amendments to the Supreme Court Act do not fix the cracks in Polish democracy created by the PiS party nor will it guarantee an independent judiciary in line with EU standards. The European Commission should not release frozen European funds until the Polish government fully complies with judicial standards. It is imperative that the European Commission uses all tools at its disposal to fight against this Rule of Law crisis and to protect the rights and freedoms of people in Poland. Poland belongs at the heart of Europe as a thriving democracy, with the rule of law and an independent judiciary.”