According to the EU executive head, Poland will have access to a maximum of 137 billion euros in European Union funds, following the implementation of reforms by the new government aimed at restoring judicial independence. This news was delivered during a press conference in Warsaw by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The unblocking of the funds was a key promise made by Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s pro-European coalition government. Access to these funds will likely give a much-needed boost to Poland’s economy, which has been impacted by the war in Ukraine and weakened by its big trading partner Germany.
Von der Leyen also announced that Poland will have access to around 60 billion euros in COVID-19 recovery funds, as well as approximately 76.5 billion euros in cohesion funds to help improve living standards in the poorest EU member states.
Prime Minister Tusk expressed optimism about the significant amount of funding, stating, “It’s a ton of money, we will use well.” The previous government, led by the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party, had faced disputes with the EU over reforms that were criticized for increasing political influence over the courts.
As a result of the disputes, Brussels had blocked Poland’s access to the funds, emphasizing the need for Poland to meet specific milestones related to judicial independence in order to unfreeze the funds. It’s worth noting that Poland has already accessed 5 billion euros that were not contingent on rule-of-law conditions.
However, the new government faces challenges with President Andrzej Duda, a PiS ally who holds veto power, and the presence of PiS loyalists in key judicial positions. Despite this, EU officials have expressed approval of Poland’s action plan to restore the rule of law.
The news comes as a relief to the country which has been working towards restoring its access to EU funds in order to support its economy and drive necessary improvements within the country. It’s a positive development that will likely have far-reaching impacts on Poland’s economic and social landscape in the years to come.
($1 = 0.9240 euros)
(Reporting by Anna Koper, Alan Charlish, Anna Woodarczak-Semczuk and Pawel Florkiewicz, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
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