Cameron and Orban speak up for Polish government

Although the summit is focused on migration, Poland's constitutional crisis was also broached, with President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz stating that the situation in Poland is “particularly alarming.”

Prime Minister of Poland Beata Szydło has declined to publish a 9 March ruling by Poland's Constutional Tribunal, thus preventing it from being binding.

Szydło argued that the ruling – which rejects reforms to the court – is itself unconstitutional.

“If we criticize countries which have regulations on the work of constitutional courts, maybe we should also criticize those countries that do not even have constitutional courts,” commented Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister of the UK David Cameron said that it is “unhelpful” to tell democratic states how they should function.

Council of Europe watchdog

Nevertheless, the Venice Commission, a human rights watchdog of the Council of Europe, published recommendations on 11 March calling for Poland to publish the Constitutional Tribunal's ruling, arguing that the court “had not fallen short” of the law.

Szydło acknowledged today that Poland had itself invited the commission to Poland, but she claimed that the watchdog had “exceeded the scope” of its remit. (nh/pk)

Source: TVN