Macron criticised over push for EU army by Italian MEP
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Calling the EU an “authoritarian empire”, the Deputy Research Director and Head of Transport at the Institute for Economic Affairs Richard Wellings retweeted an article claiming the EU was “treating Poland like a Colony”. He said: “The EU is becoming an authoritarian empire, threatening and blackmailing member states that defy the elite’s agenda.
“The coercion will get far worse once the EU Army is in place”, he added.
The EU has been butting heads with Poland over a series of judicial reforms which have the potential to challenge the EU’s legal foundation.
As a result, the European Commission said that it wants the European Court of Justice to “impose financial penalties on Poland to ensure compliance.”
The commission is advocating for “a daily penalty” being placed on Poland until it acts to improve the functioning of the Polish Supreme Court and suspends the laws deemed to undermine judicial independence.
This follows renewed calls for an “EU army” after the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan earlier this year.
European countries were forced to pull out of the country, after the US decided to do the same, despite their desire for Western troops to stay and stop the country from falling into the Taliban’s hands.
According to France 24, EU Foreign Affairs representative Josep Borrell said: “The need for more European defence has never been as much evident as today after the events in Afghanistan.”
The EU needs to create a “rapid response force” of 5,000 soldiers, Borrell added.
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EU Military Committee Chairman Claudio Graziano echoed this, saying: “now is the time to act”.
He advocated for the creation of “a rapid reaction force” with a genuine “will to act”.
German Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer agreed, tweeting: Ursula @vonderleyen is right: the #EU needs a big leap forward on defence.
“The proposed EU Defense Summit in 2022 will be highly important. Real EU defence depends on the political will of member states.
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“That’s why Germany and France must lead. #coalitionofthewilling.”
The dispute between the EU and Poland stemmed from changes made by Poland’s governing party relating to the appointment, discipline and removal of Polish judges.
The changes were made on the basis that it will remove deadwood and prevent corruption.
However, opponents of the change accuse the party of wanting a pliant bench.
The EU fears that this policy change will cause the EU’s common legal system to unravel, as it effectively decouples Poland’s legal system from the rest of the bloc.
There are also fears others will follow Warsaw’s path.
As a result, Brussels wants Poland to reverse the changes, arguing that a Polish court might have to adjudicate on EU citizens’ rights.
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