EU row erupts as Polish MPs cry foul over ‘political interference’

Poland’s conservative right-wing government is embroiled in a long-running dispute with the EU over billions of euros in withheld funds. Brussels is currently refusing to hand over grants allotted to Warsaw under the bloc’s pandemic relief fund, likewise, cohesion loans have also been frozen until Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki’s Law and Justice Party (PIS) drops judicial reforms which the Commission argue breach EU laws. Senior PIS MPs have expressed fears the dispute is being treated as a “political game” by Brussels to bolster the pro-EU opposition ahead of elections next year. Marek Kuchcinski MP, Chief of the Prime Minister’s Chancellery told Express.co.uk: “There is a political impact from the EU on Poland, especially as the Law and Justice government took power which is the conservative right-wing group that currently rules in Poland.”I believe we have a situation where the EU is trying by some means to have an impact or even change the government in Poland.”Therefore they have been blocking various money for Poland, for example from the [Covid] recovery fund.”They try to find certain legal reasons but I believe that this is not according to the EU law what they have been doing, they have also been breaking the law.”READ MORE: Mississippi election websites attacked by Russian hackers EU fuelling concern in Poland over political interference ahead of election (Image: GETTY) EU Commission president Ursula Von der Leyen (Image: GETTY)”Opposition in Poland is also motivating the EU to keep on doing these to some degree anti-Polish activities. Therefore the EU is playing a political game, being unfair, it is against the treaties and the laws of the European Union.”Since 2021, EU Commission has demanded Poland drop changes governing the appointment of judges amid concerns for the rule of law.A year on the Polish Government did close down the judicial disciplinary chamber at the centre of the row in favour of a new body but the EU has refused to release any money and continues to impose a daily €1 million fine.Express.co.uk spoke with a second senior PIS minster, Pawel Jablonski who warned that Warsaw was prepared to “draw the line” over suspected interference by the EU in Poland’s domestic politics. “We believe the EU should be about unity, about building bridges or finding compromise, this is our approach and we are ready to discuss a lot of things,” Poland’s Undersecretary of State for Economic and Development Cooperation told Express.co.uk.”But there is also a place where we need to draw a line if there is interference by EU institutions into the national competencies there are clear limitations in European treaties, what institutions can do and what they cannot do.”If there is an interference this needs to be called out and this needs to be blocked because the EU is an organisation of 27 sovereign member states it is not a centralised superstate that can dictate its will on its members.”The MP added that any attempts by Brussels to sway the polish electorate would be soundly rejected. DON’T MISS:Russia gives Iran seized British weapons [INSIGHT]Sean Penn hands over Oscar to Zelensky as Ukraine war rages on [ANALYSIS]UK to send fighter jets and Chinooks to Russia’s doorstep [VIDEO] Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki (Image: EXPRESS)Mr Jablonski told Express.co.uk: “We are willing to talk about every issue with some clear limitations somebody wants to use European funds as a tool in a political game and unfortunately, there are many politicians that are willing to do it,” “This is not built in European unity, this is actually weakened in Europe.”This is showing that there are tools that can be used against the regulations against the treaties that can be used for political purposes and this is something which people of Europe will reject, as they did in Italy when there was a hint that the European Commission might use some tools against Italy.”If the result of the election isn’t as the [EU] Commission likes, Italian people rejected that because democracy works in a way that if somebody wants to push something wants to impose something impose its will against the will of the people, the people will very often react in a very opposite way.”