Poland's MPs vote to ratify EU fiscal pact
PR dla Zagranicy
Peter Gentle
20.02.2013 10:20
Poland's lower house of parliament has voted to authorize the ratification of the EU's finance crisis fiscal pact, with 282 MPs voting in favour and 155 against.
Left to right: PM Tusk, economy minister Janusz Piechociński and finance minister Jacek Rostowski give fiscal pact green light: photo - PAP/Radek Pietruszka
The move, opposed by the conservative Law and Justice (PiS), Poland's largest opposition party, is hoped by Brussels to strengthen the eurozone's resistance to further financial shocks and was adopted by all 27 nations at a summit last March, apart from the UK and Czech Republic.
In a debate on Tuesday in parliament, Poland's centre-right prime minister Donald Tusk said that there was around 50 percent support in the country for the fiscal pact, as evident in opinion polls taken on the issue.
Finance Minister Jacek Rostowski argued that participation in the fiscal pact will strengthen Poland's position in the EU.
Among other measures, the pact requiring members with high debt to keep their structural deficits below 0.5 percent of GDP but allows countries outside the eurozone, like Poland, to participate in discussions on the zone's future and on potential changes to the pact itself, PM Tusk has argued.
Law and Justice wants the pact looked at by Poland's Constitutional court.
Law and Justice leader Jarosław Kaczyński claimed that the fiscal pact “significantly impairs our sovereignty". (pg)
source: PAP