The European Union on Thursday launched legal action against member country Poland over a contentious new law that the nationalist government claims is meant to combat Russian influence but which critics say could be used to persecute opposition politicians, AP reports.
The European Commission said it believes that the new law “unduly interferes with the democratic process,” and that it “violates the principle of democracy,” and “rights to effective judicial protection.” The EU’s executive branch supervises respect of the bloc’s laws.
The law was passed in May, ahead of expected general elections in autumn, and allows for the creation of a committee to investigate Russian influence in Poland. Critics argue that it would have unconstitutional powers, including the capacity to exclude officials from public life for a decade.
Poland’s minister for EU affairs, Szymon Szynkowski vel Sęk, said that the government would “provide legal and factual arguments in this case after getting acquainted with the doubts of the European Commission.”
