Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2016-01-19-Speech-2-702-000"
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"en.20160119.28.2-702-000"2
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"Mr President, as we assembled here this afternoon I could sense MEPs chomping at the bit to lay into the Polish Government. But before you unleash a volley of words, let me make a plea for everyone to take a step back, to allow the European Commission and the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe to work with the Polish Government to address the concerns that have been expressed. Having spoken to Polish MEPs, ministers and the Prime Minister earlier today, it is clear that they have no intention of undermining pluralism and the rule of law.
When the last government passed a law to stuff the Constitutional Court with their nominees before they left office, why is it that the Commission did not open an investigation, or MEPs here did not complain? Why the sudden complaints when the new government seeks to appoint only five out of 15 judges on a constitutional court? We should welcome the constructive talks that President Duda has held with the court’s president. We should welcome the Polish Government inviting the Venice Commission to give its opinion. We should welcome the new government’s separation between the regulator and the broadcaster.
But when the new government tries to bring its practices in line with other countries and EU law, it is accused of political interference in the media. Now when I worked on the Audiovisual Media Services Directive, I was shocked by the number of MEPs from one large Member State who sat on the boards of public broadcasters and who were interfering in legislation, ignoring the obvious conflict of interest. In this Chamber, there are former national politicians who would phone editors of newspapers, or TV stations, complaining and leading some of them to be sacked. So, if you decide to gang up today on the democratically elected government of Poland, you would also be pointing fingers at the people who voted for that government. And do not be surprised if the Polish people respond by electing more Eurosceptic politicians, as in Hungary, Italy and France. So in this climate, I would appeal everyone to be careful about their choice of words.
When Mr Berlusconi came to this Parliament and made comments linking Mr Schulz to Germany’s National Socialist past, many here were offended. So I ask you to consider your reaction when a German politician goes on the media to talk about elements of a coup in Poland and compares the Polish Government to Vladimir Putin. You must realise just how offensive this is to the Polish people, who had to endure Russian imperialism, who had to endure German National Socialism, and who had to endure Soviet Socialism.
So let us, in this House, focus on the real crises facing the EU: migration, the Eurozone and low growth. And let us allow the Polish Government to work constructively with the European Commission and the Venice Commission to reach conclusions based on facts and fairness. Given the historic suffering of the Polish people at the hands of tyranny, and their noble fight for liberation from their oppressors, I have no doubt that the new Polish Government will cooperate with all those who wish to cooperate with them to ensure that Poland reinforces the freedom, the pluralism and the democracy for which the Polish people fought for so long."@en1
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