Not perpetrated in a faraway underdeveloped country, but in the heart of Europe, Towards institutional balance in a reformed lead candidate process, There has been much criticism of the European Councils nomination of German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen as the, The European elections produced a sigh of relief across Europe because the Eurosceptic parties did not advance as much as, 5G technologies are portrayed as the new Holy Grail of wireless services: a new breed of digital applications that will, Science, ideally, knows no border and obeys no political agenda. Only the relatively powerless Senate is narrowly in the grips of the opposition, which isnt enough to stop the partys radical reform agenda. If solidarity is to survive, it must also extend to respecting the principles that bind all members. What happens is that the bond tying the twenty-seven members together dissolvesthat is, the belief that all member states remain fully committed to the values of the treaties. The effort to create a judiciary where every judge can be intimidated and controlled by the Polish minister of justice, who is also the chief prosecutor, continues unabated. Duda and his camp managed to divide the electorate into true Poles voting for him, and the worst kind voting for Trzaskowski. Right-wing Polish President Andrzej Duda has won a new five-year term, beating his liberal europhile rival Rafal Trzaskowski, official results showed on Monday. The re-election of Polish President Andrzej Duda cements the politically toxic status quo and may serve as a catalyst for further acts of constitutional vandalism. State-owned television is already a mouthpiece for the ruling party, and during the campaign Duda and other politicians complained of foreign interference when media owned by foreign companies reported critical stories.

During the campaign public television, which is controlled by PiS loyalists, boosted Dudas campaign. The head of the national electoral commissions said final official results would be announced later, but with Duda leading by nearly half a million votes his lead was unassailable. That signals more tension with Brussels. Will Green Activism Save Turkeys Democracy? Duda claimed victory even before the release of the preliminary results. But what happens when one member state undermines the rule of law and democracy, violates articles 2 and 19, and ignores judgments on this from the CJEU? One thing is clear. Gerald Knaus is the founding chairman of the European Stability Initiative. Second, a postal ballot was introduced for some voters, in particular the Polish diaspora around the world. France 24 is not responsible for the content of external websites. What Has Stopped EU Enlargement in the Western Balkans. After Indias 900 million eligible voters were invited to cast their ballot,, A first key result, perhaps the most important one, of this election is that Europes silent majority has finally come, Originally Published: Project Syndicate, 9 May 2019 Although the European Union is arguably as popular as ever, the next European, Centre for European Policy Studies

Dudas win is a victory for the ruling nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party that backed him, which now has a clear path to continue controversial reforms of the rule of law, media freedom and abortion in Poland. Mr Duda is a social conservative allied with the government led by the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party, while Mr Trzaskowski is the socially liberal mayor of Warsaw. However, with the Supreme Court under siege, the result is hard to predict. Tour de France: Canadas Houle wins stage 16, Vingegaard keeps lead as race hits Pyrenees, Sunak tops Tory MPs latest vote for new UK prime minister as race narrows, France outlines plans for buyout of EDF to relaunch countrys nuclear industry. The turnout in the runoff vote was 68.12 percent, according to the commission. Some commentators say big guns in the media and the state were deployed against the opposition candidate in what liberal daily Gazeta Wyborcza sees as a "David vs Goliath" battle. May this term really be different, he wrote on Twitter.

Mr Duda's win is expected to lead to further controversial reforms to the judiciary and continued opposition to abortion and gay rights. Im very moved, Duda said Sunday evening at a campaign event in Putusk, a town north of Warsaw. In neighbouring Slovakia, the Aktuality.sk website says Mr Duda's victory will tempt the ruling party to "see just how far they can go". Winning the presidential election with 70 percent of turnout, its excellent news.

It needs to be defended in the whole EUs vital self-interest. Andrzej Duda is allied with the nationalist Law and Justice-led government. It eventually backed down when a junior coalition partner joined the opposition in saying the PiS was putting politics before public health.

In the end, however, Duda has cemented his advantage, edging up in a late poll around midnight and then posting what looked like an unassailable lead in results released at about 8am Warsaw time on Monday morning, with more than 99% of precincts reporting their counts. Was a fair and independent process followed in the Phil Hogan case? Browse through the list of related items. Check your email for details on your request. Poland has been called the worst country in the EU for LGBT rights. Having independent courts is one of these standards.

This is not happening; the damage Poland is inflicting on the EU is immeasurable. Perhaps the time has come for more political action along the lines of the boycott of Austrian representatives in 2000, when the right-wing party of Jrg Haider joined Austrias government. What are policies of final two hoping to be UK PM? Trump refuses to say election over after Capitol riot.

Implementing all CJEU judgments related to the rule of law should be a non-negotiable precondition for receiving funding from the EU budget. It stands to benefit more in the near future. Poland has benefited enormously from generous EU support in recent years. Even though the declaration was in a separate envelope it had to be posted together with the ballot paper. During the campaign Mr Duda came under heavy criticism after he said LGBT rights were an "ideology" more destructive than communism. The main challenge, however, is as follows. After a tight race and indecisive exit polls, Duda won 51.21 percent of the vote, while his opponent, centrist Warsaw Mayor Rafa Trzaskowski of the Civic Platform party, took 48.79 percent, with 99.97 percent of polling stations reporting. More controversially, the PiS has said it wants to complete its overhaul of the judiciary - a policy criticised by the EU and many other international organisations for undermining the rule of law in Poland.

Capitulation to illiberal states or misplaced expectations? Its hard to see Duda finding common ground with the millions of voters who opted for the pro-EU, liberal Trzaskowski. The EU needs to react, but it has few tools. At a press conference on Monday morning, the heads of the electoral commission said they were not sure when complete results would be announced, as some polling stations had yet to submit their counts. To add fuel to the fire, PiS and the media it controls are trying to portray Duda as the victim of a brutal campaign against him.

The IMF sees a massive contraction of the global, There was a time in the Western Balkans, some fifteen-odd years ago, when local politicians, journalists and civil society organisations, After decades of widening and deepening the European Union is one member down. It is hard to marry this practice with ballot secrecy, which is guaranteed by the Polish Constitution. Trzaskowski: Polish democracy is "under attack". VideoTrump refuses to say election over after Capitol riot, Russia 'looting' steel bound for Europe and UK. But governments have used science in the past for propaganda, Since its debut in 2014, proponents of the Spitzenkandidaten (lead candidate) procedure had hoped to see it firmly established in, Originally Published: Project Syndicate, 5 June 2019 With the latest election, the European Parliament seems to have taken a small, May was not a bad month for democracy. After more than a decade of talk about conditionality, it is time for member states to act. I am absolutely convinced that when we count each vote, we will be victorious and we will definitely win, had Trzaskowski told his supporters on Sunday evening. Download the France 24 app, LGBT rights at heart of Poland presidential-election fight, Poland votes in tight, high-stakes presidential run-off, Poland's Duda holds slim lead in neck-to neck presidential election - exit poll, Live: Ukraine grain export deal to be signed in Istanbul, says Turkey, Heatflation: How high temperatures drive up food prices, Liz Truss: Self-styled Disruptor-in-chief vying to be Britains next PM, Italys president dissolves parliament, paving way for early elections, Turkey says Ukraine, Russia agree on deal to resume Black Sea grain exports, Sunak and Truss reach run-off in race to become UK's next leader, Italy in limbo as Draghi wins confidence vote but loses parliamentary majority, Theyre burning our crops on purpose: Ukraine says Russia deliberately torching grain fields, Lavrov says Russias focus in Ukraine extends beyond Donbas.

The recent proposals put forward by Charles Michel, President of the European Council, are a step in this direction. This belief is of existential importance. The rhetoric coming from Dudas megaphone raised eyebrows not only domestically but also around the world. Ukrainians given sight back settle into new life, 'We've spent years preparing our Comic-Con costumes' Video'We've spent years preparing our Comic-Con costumes', The woman who built a career from true crime and make-up, Whisky makers are turning their backs on peat, No faith in Russia, Germany scrambles for energy, Most of us don't clean our teeth in the right way, Why dark Japanese fairy tale Princess Mononoke was too much for Hollywood, Some street vendors say moonlight and dew are the magic ingredients. The election was originally due to take place in May, when Duda was riding high in the polls and was expected to win easily. Unless something extraordinary happens, the next parliamentary elections in Poland are three years away. A near-record high. The UKs decision. It brokered a record 130 agreements and, We may have to leave it to historians to tell us whether Boris Johnson was the worst British prime minister, The European Council that took place on 23-24 June will be remembered for the historic decision to endorse Ukraine and, The Conference on the Future of Europe is over. A wide range of activities have come to, EU leaders are negotiating the modalities of a sizeable recovery facility. But the closeness of the vote also suggests that many in Poland are uneasy about the government's attempts to introduce a more illiberal democracy. But the Disciplinary Chamber rejected the CJEUs judgment. Although the coronavirus pandemic had not yet peaked, the government was desperate for the May vote to go ahead. But one needs to remember that the authority of the Court of Justice has recently been undermined by the German Constitutional Courts judgment on the bonds purchasing programme. 1000 Brussels, Belgium, Phone: +32 2 735 56 50

But passing legislation to limit foreign ownership of critical private media is difficult under EU rules and risks antagonising Poland's chief ally, the US, as one of the country's most popular broadcasters, TVN, is owned by an American company. Given the lockdown and all its restrictions, this timing was less than ideal. With the, After a demanding but successful first year in office, President von der Leyen now faces the daunting task of adapting, Late in the evening of August 22nd, the leaders of theIrish governmentcalled on the EU Trade Commissioner, Phil Hogan, to, In the present economic crisis, no sector is suffering more than aviation. However, the close margins may prompt complaints from the opposition over voting irregularities and a skewed playing field.

This has been seized upon by Warsaw and feeds anti-EU rhetoric. The National Electoral Commission said Mr Duda had won 51.2% of the votes. With Duda as head of state, PiS remains Polands dominant political power. First, the good news. And indeed poses a challenge for the European Union. The stable of media loyal to the government attacked Trzaskowski as an extremist and alleged he was backed by shadowy foreign interests. Under EU law, this is doable, within certain limits., An economic depression is looming, on the tails of the pandemic. The reelection of Polish President Andrzej Duda represents an existential threat to the European Unions legal order. Its also likely that the governments five-year efforts to bring Polands courts under tighter political control will continue with renewed vigor moves that have caused growing tensions with the European Commission and the European Parliament.

Its also hard to see Duda changing course from lambasting liberal values, from using antisemitism and anti-German slogans to consolidate his popularity, from undermining the independence of the judiciary, and from Polands current collision course with the EU. With 99.97 percent of ballots counted, the national election commission said Duda had won 51.21 percent against 48.79 percent for Warsaw Mayor Trzaskowski. The EU has three crises on its hands: the coronavirus pandemic, a massive economic downturn, and an attack on the core values that underpin the European projectthe rule of law and respect for the EUs treaties and rules. Audience ratings certified by ACPM/OJD. On April 8, 2020, the CJEU ruled: Poland must immediately suspend the application of the national provisions on the powers of the Disciplinary Chamber of the Supreme Court with regard to disciplinary cases concerning judges. Poland was given until early May to inform the commission of how it would enforce the judgment. Notwithstanding, PiS belatedly realised that the state apparatus was not ready for an exercise of such gargantuan proportions at short notice. An exit poll released as the polls closed at 9pm on Sunday gave Duda 50.4% of votes, which was well within the polls margin of error of two percentage points, and gave Trzaskowski supporters hope they might turn around the deficit as the votes were counted, especially given the likelihood of a strong pro-Trzaskowski vote from the more than half-a-million Poles voting abroad. That said, untold damage could still be done before the end of the legislative cycle. Rafa Trzaskowski, the mayor of Warsaw, on election night. The result showed it wasone of closest elections in Polands history, reflecting the deep divisions in this European Union nation. Any new rule of law mechanisms based on dialogue are unlikely to be fit for purpose as they presuppose the presence of a gentleman at the other end. This is unlikely to create a platform for honest political dialogue with the opposition that Duda himself has called for. However, with coronavirus restrictions in place, plans for a full postal vote were abandoned a few days before the election as impossible to implement. [1] Legal challenges to the way in which the elections were organised, based on the grounds listed above and many others, are now pending. Despite the governing nationalist-conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party doing everything to monopolize Polands presidential election campaign, over 68 percent cast their ballots at the votes second and final round on July 12, 2020. During the campaign, high-level PiS officials including Duda and the partys Chairman Jarosaw Kaczyski, widely considered Polands de-facto leader, hinted at their upcoming agenda. This might put more pressure on the authorities in Warsaw and place their dubious activities under the spotlight. First, he needs to prove that he is the president of all Polish citizens. You are leaving the CarnegieTsinghua Center for Global Policy's website and entering another Carnegie global site. We use cookies to improve our online services.

In May, the European Commission proposed a recovery fund worth 750 billion to save the EU economies most affected by the coronavirus. Dudas campaign also cast Trzaskowski as someone who would sell out Polish families to Jewish interests, tapping into old anti-Semitic tropes in a country that was home to Europes largest Jewish community before it was decimated by Germany in the Holocaust. The electoral commission said the votes that are yet to be counted will not affect the final result. Myanmars former soldiers admit to atrocities. Submit Von der Leyens Commission: More balanced, less impartial? A clich it may be, but Polands political landscape is polarised. This year, he built his campaign on a mix of continued generous social welfare programs leavened with a dose of protecting Polands national and Christian values by unleashing attacks on what he called LGBT ideology, as well as on Jews and Germans.