Hilde van der Meer

Polish PM Donald Tusk: "I sincerely wish that we would never have to witness scenes like these in Poland. However, giving in to lawlessness and violence cannot be the way to achieve peace. A democratic state must be strong and capable of enforcing justice. We have been watching this situation with concern for many hours. It is difficult for all of us to understand what the groups of politicians and activists from PiS and Confederation, ranging from Braun to Bąkiewicz, are trying to achieve by pushing and shoving. The police are responding to acts of aggression calmly but firmly. The attack on the Constitutional Tribunal and its judges is yet another chapter in the process of destroying the rule of law in Poland by PiS and Presidents Duda and Nawrocki. Together with the parliamentary majority, I have made attempts to repair the Tribunal. Nobody had any doubts that the Tribunal, in the form imposed by PiS, was not a genuine court. This was the assessment of international institutions, respected Polish legal authorities, and public opinion. We proposed resolutions and legislation to all political forces and both presidents that would have made it possible to jointly restore the rule of law. All in vain. Everything was blocked by the President and PiS. We therefore waited patiently for the election of new judges, until the terms of their predecessors appointed by PiS expired. The Sejm elected the judges. They took their oath, but the President did not see fit to receive it. The lawfully elected judges were blocked by Tribunal President Święczkowski and were unable to take up their duties. And when, after many weeks of patiently waiting, they finally decided to assume their responsibilities rather than wait any longer for Mr Święczkowski to change his position, they were attacked. I want to make this absolutely clear: lawfully elected members of the Constitutional Tribunal were attacked, and the police on the scene were protecting the Tribunal from the aggressors. To simplify matters, let me use an analogy. Imagine a situation in which a thief snatches an elderly woman's handbag and runs away. When he is apprehended, he starts shouting that violence is being used against him and calls the attempt to recover the stolen property an act of robbery. Meanwhile, some bystanders and so-called centrists suggest that, to resolve the situation peacefully, the thief and his victim should simply split the contents of the handbag equally. There are matters on which there can be no compromise. Shouting, lies, and brawling cannot be the source of law in Poland, and they never will be. Democracy is the best, and unfortunately also the most difficult, system humanity has ever devised. It is a source of pride for us as Poles that democracy was our first sovereign choice after regaining independence. Democracy is our tradition and the source of a success that is now recognised around the world. Thanks to it, we are growing stronger. The rule of law differs from the law of the jungle in that justice is not determined by physical strength or brute force. In a state governed by the rule of law, a judge, even if she is a petite woman, does not yield to an aggressive bully. The rule of law protects the weak just as much as the strong. In a state governed by the rule of law, a politician cannot enter a court or tribunal and issue orders or intimidate judges, even if that politician is the President. The rule of law does not see party colours and knows no such thing as impunity. Let us call things by their proper names. For years, there have been organisations and politicians in Poland who want to destroy democracy and the rule of law. It is not my task today to judge their motives. Whether it is greed, stupidity, or treason, the result is ultimately the same. And it is no coincidence that they find support around the world among pro-Russian forces. Today, in this conflict, they are also benefiting from the support of the Russian army of internet bots. They have even received public praise from the Kremlin's chief ideologue. We waited far too long for the treasure that is an independent, democratic Poland to become frightened and give in. We Poles have achieved far too much in building a strong state to surrender it now. I am confident that the Constitutional Tribunal will begin functioning as it should, independently, autonomously, and in accordance with the Constitution, including independently of me. It is the responsibility of the executive branch, and therefore my responsibility, to ensure its security and provide it with the conditions necessary to work. And I intend to fulfil that responsibility. Poland is strong, democratic, and determined. It has not perished, and it will not perish. Thank you very much."