Charter of Rights: Poland renounces to go further
(B2) Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced on Friday 23 November during his policy speeches, that he was renouncing the plan to reintegrate the European Charter of Fundamental Rights into the text of the European Treaty which he will soon sign. " I will respect the results of the negotiations of my predecessors,” he explained justifying that his coalition was in favor of the Charter, but that he preferred above all to ensure the ratification of the Treaty by the Polish parliament.
A political barter
This announcement is, in fact, part of a "barter" with President Lech Kaczynski, who had threatened to veto any change in the text (ratification of an international text requires a 2/3 vote of the Diet - figure that the current coalition does not reach even with the support of the left, and therefore requires support from the PiS, Kaczynski's party).
A small concession to principles
Prime Minister Donald Tusk obtained the right to appoint whomever he wanted to Foreign Affairs — it was former Defense Minister Radek Sikorski, who had resigned from the government of Jaroslaw Kaczynski, who was appointed — from take part in the European summit on 13 December and co-sign the text of the Lisbon Treaty. All this is well worth a small concession on the Charter! Especially since once ratified and entered into force, nothing prevents a Polish government from finally deciding that it will fully apply the Charter of Fundamental Rights.
(Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)