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Poland: EU court upholds a fine of 320 million euros

by AI | 05.Feb 2025 | Europe in brief AI

The European justice confirmed a significant fine imposed on Poland due to judicial reforms carried out by the previous nationalist government.

Zbigniew Ziobro; then Polish Minister of Justice, (in the center), who sought to introduce controversial reforms of the judicial system, participates in the independence day march organized by nationalist groups in Warsaw on November 11, 2022. (Photo: Wojtek RADWANSKI / AFP)

Warsaw – The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruled on Wednesday that Brussels was right to impose a fine on Poland due to judicial reforms carried out by the former government of the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party.

During the eight years of PiS rule, the authorities engaged in a fierce dispute with the European Union regarding these judicial reforms, which, according to Brussels, undermined the rule of law in the country.

In 2021, the CJEU, the highest judicial body of the European bloc, ordered Poland to pay one million euros per day until the disciplinary chamber of its Supreme Court, which could sanction the country’s judges, was suspended.

Warsaw had refused to pay the fine, prompting the European Commission to recover the money by deducing it from European funds allocated to Poland.

Poland had tried to contest the fine, but the CJEU confirmed on Wednesday in a statement that it “must pay a total amount of approximately 320 million euros” in fines. (February 5, 2025)