BRUSSELS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 09th October, 2021) The Polish supreme court's decision on the primacy of the national constitution over European Union legislature is a bold move that may "cost Warsaw dearly," Pierre Vercauteren, a professor of political science at UCLouvain University in Belgium, told Sputnik.
On Thursday, Poland's supreme court announced its ruling challenging the primacy of EU law, prompting a harsh backlash from Brussels.
"The response from Brussels was immediate. The EU will do everything to make sure that the rule of law is respected by Poland. The European Union's role is the guarantor of treaties," Vercauteren said.
The judges' decision falls in line with the nationalistic course taken by Poland's ruling Law and Justice party (PiS). However, the overwhelming majority of Poles support the European Union, the expert noted.
"It is therefore a dangerous political gamble for the party in power. One wonders if this is not a headlong rush as their majority is eroding," he said.
There are speculations that there might be snap parliamentary elections in Poland in the coming spring instead of the fall of 2023, Vercauteren said. Donald Tusk, former president of the European Council, former Polish Prime Minister, and president of the transnational European People's Party � the largest faction in several EU bodies � has been rallying the opposition in Poland with his Civic Platform party, according to the expert, which threatens PiS' position.
"The first consequence would be financial, as money is always the crux of things: the European Commission can refuse to disburse the development funds owed to Poland this year, that is to say approximately 23 billion euro ($26.6 billion)," he said.
This way, Poland might face a net loss of up to 15 billion euro, taking into account the country's contribution to the EU budget. Moreover, Warsaw can even be deprived of its right to vote in the European Council, Vercauteren said.
However, all these consequences are yet to be discussed in a series of Brussels-Warsaw talks that could take months, the expert remarked. Besides, Warsaw pointed out that the court's ruling, which was presented orally, is only a statement of principle until it is documented and published � something that Poland is unlikely to rush. Meanwhile, the EU will have time to request details on the matter, Vercauteren said.
