Foreign Minister Timo Soini travelled to Brussels on Monday and defended Poland’s Law and Justice party-led government from charges that it is becoming too authoritarian.
The government took office after last October’s elections and immediately set about fighting what it calls cronyism among Polish elites. It passed laws allowing it to fire the head of the public radio and television stations, senior civil servants and members of the judiciary, including the constitutional court.
The EU Commission and other EU states have expressed concern, with the commission last week starting an investigation into whether the laws breach EU standards. Soini said on Monday that the European reaction has been too strong.
"Now that people have let off steam, already the President of the European Commission Donald Tusk says that there have been over-reactions and we should be able to discuss the issue," said Soini. "That’s my opinion too."
MEPs from Soini’s Finns Party are part of the same group as Law and Justice MEPs in the European Parliament. He has criticised the EU’s reaction on his blog, prompting the Foreign Ministry to distance itself from his comments on Twitter.
"Minister Soini is also a party leader, and his blog is primarily a party leader's forum," the ministry Tweeted when asked if Soini’s line was also Finland’s.
He reiterated his stance on Monday in Brussels, arguing that Poland could be discussed without the Commission’s investigation.
"In several countries there have been election results that have been difficult for other countries’ elites to swallow," said Soini. "They should respect the people’s will as expressed in elections. Poland's government has been in power for a few months and there is a lot of bitterness from the losers. So there’s some nit-picking. If there is actually any substance to this, then sure Poland should be asked to fix things."
