Polish lawmakers were set to defy the European Union and massed opposition protesters on Friday by backing a judicial overhaul denounced by critics as a move towards authoritarian rule.
Polish lawmakers were set to defy the European Union and massed opposition protesters on Friday by backing a judicial overhaul denounced by critics as a move towards authoritarian rule.
Parliament's upper house was expected to vote through a bill forcing the removal of Supreme Court judges and giving parliament control over choosing replacements.
Tens of thousands of people gathered in cities across Poland into the early hours of Friday, some carrying Polish and European Union flags and chanting, "Free Poland, European". Protesters said more rallies were planned in the evening.
Prime Minister Beata Szydlo said late on Thursday she would not give into pressure at home or abroad, setting up a confrontation with the EU, which has threatened sanctions over the plans, calling them a challenge to the rule of law.
The zloty fell half a percent against the euro, underperforming the region's other currencies and ending a period of relative stability since the ruling party first submitted the bill on July 12.
Opposition groups and other critics say the legislation, which parliament's upper house started debating on Friday morning, is part of a power grab by the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party that would undermine the EU's liberal principles.
"We believe that Poland is slowly but systematically turning into a penal institution," senator Jan Rulewski, a veteran activist of the anti-communism movement, said during the debate, dressed in prison uniform.
The U.S. Department of State said late on Thursday it was "concerned" about the situation in Poland.
"FOREIGN MEDDLING"
The government of the EU's biggest eastern member state says the changes are needed to make courts more accountable and to ensure state institutions serve all Poles, not just the "elites" it says are the support base for the centrist opposition.
"We will not give into pressure. We will not be intimidated by Polish and foreign defenders of the interests of the elite," the prime minister said in an address on state television.
PiS has offered no concessions, instead presenting the criticism as unacceptable foreign meddling in the domestic affairs of the country, which overthrew communism in 1989 and joined the EU in 2004.
The bill was passed by parliament's lower house on Thursday after tumultuous debate. That triggered one of the biggest protests since the PiS came to power in late 2015.
Once the legislation passes in the Senate - where PiS has a majority - the bill will go to President Andrzej Duda, a PiS ally, for final approval.
Since being elected in 2015, PiS has tightened government control over courts and prosecutors, as well as state media, and introduced restrictions on public gatherings and the activity of non-governmental organisations.
Despite criticism, the PiS government remains broadly popular, benefiting from increased social spending, record low unemployment and robust economic growth.
Its brand of patriotic rhetoric infused with Catholic piety resonates strongly with many Poles who feel frustrated by a gap in standards of living with the West, nearly three decades after the collapse of communism.
(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)
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