Punish Conservatives, Reward Tusk: What EU Calls ‘Rule of Law’ in Poland Is Political

The European Commission has published its latest report on the rule of law in Poland for 2025.  Previous reports were highly critical of Poland and served as a ruthless tool of political pressure. Brussels’ attitude towards Poland over the last decade has been largely based on political pressure through systemic questioning of the rule of law in Poland, which has significantly weakened our position both within the EU and vis-à-vis our international partners in general, and served as a justification for blocking EU funds due to Poland.

However, the new report is different. The 2025 report is full of smooth words about great changes and steps in the right direction, even though they are only planned steps. As soon as the political option preferred by the Brussels elite came to power in Poland, the EU ceased to see any violations of the rule of law in Poland, and the European Commission almost immediately unblocked the first funds for Poland’s National Recovery Plan.

Today, when comparing reports on the rule of law from the time when Poland was ruled by the more conservative and more sovereigntist Law and Justice government and the latest report published during the EU-backed left-liberal government of Donald Tusk, it is really very hard not to see the flexibility that the European Commission has given to the definition of the “rule of law