Von der Leyen announces the release of EU funds for Poland

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen today announced the release of €137 billion in EU funds for Poland that had been frozen in a dispute over the rule of law. Von der Leyen told media representatives in Warsaw that the official decision will be made next week.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk's pro-European government, which was sworn in in December, has made “significant” efforts and taken reforms and steps towards the independence of the courts.

Von der Leyen: “A very strong statement”

Von der Leyen welcomed the action plan presented by Warsaw to member states this week, calling it “a very strong statement of a clear roadmap for Poland.” Polish Justice Minister Adam Bodnar presented a plan to put an end to ongoing criminal proceedings in the European Union.

Specifically, this concerns the procedure initiated at the end of 2017, through which Poland was threatened with the withdrawal of voting rights in the EU Council of Ministers due to violations of the rule of law. Warsaw hopes that the process will be completed before the European elections at the beginning of June. Hungary would then be the only country against which such action was still being taken.

From the EU's perspective, the previous government under the leadership of the right-wing nationalist Law and Justice Party in Warsaw imposed severe restrictions on the rule of law, especially through judicial reform, which Brussels objected to.