European legal experts on Monday began a fact-finding mission in Poland to determine if Warsaw's new right-wing government has violated the EU member's constitution and democracy rules.
Last month, the European Union launched an unprecedented probe into controversial reforms to the constitutional court and increased control over state media by the new Law and Justice (PiS) government after it swept to power in October elections.
Legal experts advising the Council of Europe, an international organisation that seeks to uphold human rights, democracy and the rule of law, will share their findings with the European Commission.
The Commission has in turn said it will review Poland's responses by March.
Poland's Prime Minister Beata Szydlo said Monday her government would "pay attention and be very open to the proposals" of the visiting legal experts.
But she would not be drawn on how Warsaw plans to react to possible criticism.
She spoke at joint press conference in Budapest along side Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orban.
The reforms in Poland are seen as emulating those of Orban, who has regularly been accused of undermining key democratic checks and balances since 2010, and who has also had a testy relationship with Brussels.
Poland's Constitutional Court chief justice Malgorzata Gersdorf questioned several legal moves by the government "that raise doubts" about the court's independence, court spokesman Dariusz Swiecki told reporters.
Headed by Gianni Buquicchio, the group of experts sent by the Venice Commission, the Council's consultative body on constitutional matters, arrived at the invitation of Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski for a first hand glimpse of the reforms.
After meet with PiS-allied President Andrzej Duda, Buquicchio told reporters he was in Poland to "help" resolve the matter, but that the main "responsibility" lies with Polish politicians.
The PiS's legal moves triggered a series of demonstrations and harsh criticism from Warsaw's EU partners.
The EU's investigation threatens to inflame already tense relations with Poland and other eastern European countries such as Hungary who resent what they see as Brussels' interference.
Led by eurosceptic ex-prime minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the populist-orientated PiS won an unprecedented majority in October's general election after eight years in opposition during two consecutive terms under Civic Platform liberals.
European legal experts on Monday began a fact-finding mission in Poland to determine if Warsaw’s new right-wing government has violated the EU member’s constitution and democracy rules.
Last month, the European Union launched an unprecedented probe into controversial reforms to the constitutional court and increased control over state media by the new Law and Justice (PiS) government after it swept to power in October elections.
Legal experts advising the Council of Europe, an international organisation that seeks to uphold human rights, democracy and the rule of law, will share their findings with the European Commission.
The Commission has in turn said it will review Poland’s responses by March.
Poland’s Prime Minister Beata Szydlo said Monday her government would “pay attention and be very open to the proposals” of the visiting legal experts.
But she would not be drawn on how Warsaw plans to react to possible criticism.
She spoke at joint press conference in Budapest along side Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orban.
The reforms in Poland are seen as emulating those of Orban, who has regularly been accused of undermining key democratic checks and balances since 2010, and who has also had a testy relationship with Brussels.
Poland’s Constitutional Court chief justice Malgorzata Gersdorf questioned several legal moves by the government “that raise doubts” about the court’s independence, court spokesman Dariusz Swiecki told reporters.
Headed by Gianni Buquicchio, the group of experts sent by the Venice Commission, the Council’s consultative body on constitutional matters, arrived at the invitation of Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski for a first hand glimpse of the reforms.
After meet with PiS-allied President Andrzej Duda, Buquicchio told reporters he was in Poland to “help” resolve the matter, but that the main “responsibility” lies with Polish politicians.
The PiS’s legal moves triggered a series of demonstrations and harsh criticism from Warsaw’s EU partners.
The EU’s investigation threatens to inflame already tense relations with Poland and other eastern European countries such as Hungary who resent what they see as Brussels’ interference.
Led by eurosceptic ex-prime minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the populist-orientated PiS won an unprecedented majority in October’s general election after eight years in opposition during two consecutive terms under Civic Platform liberals.
