In Warsaw, the demonstrators gathered in Palace Square. They waved Polish and European flags and shouted: “We are staying” and “We are Europe!”. There were also protests in Gdansk, Poznan, Szczecin, Krakow and many other cities.
The dispute between the EU and Warsaw continues to escalate
The country’s Constitutional Court recently ruled that certain elements of EU law violated the Polish Constitution. This gave national law priority over EU law. This decision is fueling the conflict between the EU Commission and Warsaw over the reform of the Polish judicial system.
Former EU Council President and Polish opposition leader Donald Tusk called for the protests. During his appearance in front of the demonstrators in Warsaw, he said that the national-conservative ruling party PiS was no longer talking about wanting to lead the country out of the EU. “The space Poland is in Europe, “said Tusk.” We will win because we are more! “Both Tusk and other speakers were repeatedly interrupted by loud interjections and chants from a counter-demonstration by right-wing national groups.
The PiS government has been restructuring the judiciary for years. Critics accuse her of putting judges under pressure. Due to the reforms, the EU Commission has already opened several infringement proceedings against Warsaw and filed suits with the European Court of Justice.
