Members of the Parliament I am pleased to send you this letter

Members of the Parliament
I am pleased to send you this letter concerning the debate on Polish affairs,
which is to be held this week in the European Parliament. Talks, dialogue and
direct exchange of information are the only feasible way of resolving doubts
and misconceptions that are the root of that debate.
I am confident that insufficient information and some misunderstandings are
what caused many Members of the European Parliament to express their
concern with the situation in Poland. My government, supported by the
parliamentary majority selected in democratic elections, has been
implementing legislative changes that ultimately meet all relevant European
standards. The legal solutions applying to the Constitutional Court, or the
public media, are soundly based on the principles followed in any democratic
state ruled by law, and they respect the values embodied in the Constitution.
The outcome of the parliamentary elections that took place last autumn in
Poland was unprecedented. For the first time since 1989, Polish citizens
opted for the winning party to have the parliamentary majority. Poles chose
specifically the programme proposed by my political party and they expect to
see it implemented. The millions of Poles who voted for the Law and Justice
Party have been looking forward to the changes that are included in our
programme and are currently being introduced by my government.
For 25 years Poland has been building democratic standards typical of a lawabiding state. The constitutional values are reflected in all steps and
measures taken by my government that lead to changes in law. At this point, I
feel obliged to briefly comment on the reasons for which we decided to modify
the regulations on the Constitutional Court and the public media. New
provisions pertaining to the Constitutional Court were needed to repair the
damages which came as a result of vote enforced by the previously ruling
coalition at the Polish parliament towards the end of its term. Furthermore, the
changes we have introduced are aimed at improving the efficiency and
performance of the Constitutional Court.
The parliamentary majority that previously ruled in Poland appointed judges to
complete the composition of the Constitutional Court by breaking the
provisions of the Constitution. The Court itself, in its decision of 3 Dec. 2015,
recognised the fact that the changes in the Court composition made by the
previous majority, basically at the end of its term, were against the Polish
Constitution. The actions of the previously ruling parliamentary majority –
constituting a breach of Constitution – led to the Court composition being
dominated by judges representing the coalition of parties that lost the last year
elections. It was the aforementioned decision of the Constitutional Court,
along with many experts’ opinions, that showed the need to correct the errors
made by the previous parliamentary majority whose decisions concerning the
Court blatantly violated the provisions of the Polish Constitution. It should be
stressed here that in many EU countries the Constitutional Court plays a far
less significant role than in Poland. In some of those countries, there is no
such court, and in others it is not legally foreseen to verify acts with respect to
their compliance with the Constitution. There are countries where the
Constitutional Court judges are elected by the President. It only demonstrates
that Polish solutions concerning the Court do not fall short of any European
standard, and are, in fact, more advanced than in many other EU states,
granting the Court far greater powers.
As for the changes in the public media introduced by the parliamentary
majority, we are of the opinion that they conform to the European standards of
public broadcasters. Moreover, the changes we have initiated are an attempt
to restore genuine objectivity and non-partisan character of the Polish public
media. Until recently many groups in Poland voiced their concern, questioning
the impartiality of public broadcasters. The Polish media environment
appreciates unlimited freedom and pluralism, which is quite obvious when you
study its current structure and condition. In our opinion, the public media are
in need of changes that will remove the political bias and ensure improved
standards in terms of objectivity and fairness. This is the only goal of the
changes we are implementing.
This is not the first time an attempt is made to repair the Republic of Poland. It
is something we need to do now. Poles are Europeans. We are proud
members of the European Union. And yet, many Poles feel they have been
deprived of the benefits of economic transformation. We wish to give them all
a chance to take part in those benefits. Most Poles voted for my political party
and chose our programme. We will not let them down and will continue to
introduce changes we have promised to our supporters. This change is in the
best interest of Poland and the whole of Europe. The more European
countries have a fair rule, the stronger the EU will be.
I believe that the debate planned in the European Parliament shall be honest
and genuine, and that the comprehensive information package the Polish
government has prepared will help clear up all misconceptions. My
government is prepared for the debate and we will be more than happy to
explain any matters that raise your concern.
Regards
Beata Szydło