Solberg concerned by warnings about the state of democracy in Poland

Prime Minister Erna Solberg and Polish President Andrzej DudaOslo.Prime Minister Erna Solberg and Polish President Andrzej Duda..Photo:Håkon Mosvold Larsen / NTB scanpix

Warnings that the democracy in Poland is threatened by the country’s new government, worries Prime Minister Erna Solberg.

The controversy surrounding Poland’s constitutional court was discussed at the meeting between the country’s president Andrzej Duda and Solberg in Oslo on Monday.
– This was one of the topics that we discussed,  the Prime Minister confirmed at a press conference after the meeting.
After the new Polish government came to power last year, legal amendments that makes it harder for the court to stop the new laws that conflict with the Constitution have been passed.
The changes have sparked strong reactions both inside and outside of Poland. Democracy and the rule of law in the country is threatened,  the Venice Commission, a body under the Council of Europe, thinks.
– We view statements like those of the Venice Commission relating to the changes made with great concern,  Solberg said at the press conference.
EU calls for Polish retreat
President Duda said he hopes the EU can contribute to a solution to court controversy and the conflict this has caused in the Polish parliament.
The European Commission has previously demanded that the new laws relating to the Constitutional Court, had to be lifted by Monday. But this has been rejected by Poland’s Prime Minister Beata Szydlo from the national conservative ruling party PiS.  Duda also belonged to PIS until he won the presidential election last year.

Other important topics at the meeting between Solberg and Duda were  NATO cooperation and Norwegian gas deliveries.
The government of Poland hopes that  NATO troops will be deployed in the country as a reaction to developments in Russia. The matter will be discussed at the alliance’s summit in the Polish capital Warsaw in July.
– NATO has to be an Alliance that we can trust. NATO should show strength,  Duda says.

 

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today