BRUSSELS — Senior officials from two founding members of the European Union expressed fears Friday that a Polish ruling challenging the supremacy of EU laws could trigger the country’s exit from the 27-nation bloc.
France’s Europe minister Clement Beaune insisted that the move is an attack against the EU, while Luxembourg minister of Foreign and European affairs Jean Asselborn said Poland is “playing with fire”, according to AP.
The head of the EU’s executive branch, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, said she is “deeply concerned” by the ruling and pledged a a swift analysis of its meaning before taking action. She also hinted at possible business disruptions with Poland.
“Our utmost priority is to ensure that the rights of Polish citizens are protected and that Polish citizens enjoy the benefits granted by membership of the European Union, just like all citizens of our Union,” von der Leyen said. “Moreover, EU citizens as well as companies doing business in Poland need the legal certainty that EU rules, including rulings of the European Court of Justice, are fully applied in Poland.”
They spoke a day after Poland’s constitutional court ruled that Polish laws take precedence over those of the bloc. The ruling further escalated lingering tensions over democratic standards between the country’s right-wing nationalist government and Brussels institutions.
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