9
Oct
2024
Watch
2024 Annual Rule of law report (debate)
Mr President, thank you very much. Dear Commissioner, The law-abiding Poland is back. It came back a year ago, and Article 7 no longer applies. For six years, the European Commission has been conducting proceedings against Poland for serious infringements. But I also want to talk about other things, about what we've been able to do over the last year. First of all, we want Poland to be free from corruption. That is why Poland joined the European Public Prosecutor's Office. This is a very important step in restoring the rule of law. These are changes in the National Prosecutor’s Office – a competition that was open and which is the first step before separating the functions of the Minister of Justice and the Prosecutor General. It is a free media – public media, which is now open to all political actors. It is, finally, the Supreme Audit Office, which can function because it has a staffed college of this Chamber. But we have a lot of work ahead of us. And I want to say very clearly: The government is determined on October 15. We're going back. But we are also returning as an example to other countries – for example Hungary Orbán – that change is possible, that it is needed, that it really depends on the strength of the people, on the strength of the voters, whether we return to the place that is intended for us – in free, fair societies and in free and fair governments.