Baltic States oppose EU sanctions against Poland
The Heads of State of the three Baltic countries oppose EU sanctions against Poland. The bone of contention is judicial reform initiated by the Polish government. After a meeting between the heads of government of the four countries in Vilnius, on Friday, March 9, Lithuanian Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis said that his country would support its neighbor if the EU decides to impose tough sanctions against Poland.
"We would not want any sanctions to be imposed on Poland," said the head of the Latvian Cabinet of Ministers, Maris Kucinskis. According to officials in Tallinn, the country cannot allow to limit Poland’s voting rights in EU institutions. "We can't allow this to go so far, because it is through dialogue that we can reach a common position in the EU," said Estonian Prime Minister Jüri Ratas.
"I believe that, in the next few months, we will be able to convince our partners in the EU that this reform is possible," said Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.
Judicial reform in Poland has caused an outcry in Europe. Brussels sees the new laws as a threat to the independence of Polish courts. At the end of 2017, the European Commission launched penalty procedures against Warsaw, as a result of which Poland may lose its right to vote in the EU. The final decision will be made by a common vote of EU member states.