While Brussels prepares its punishments for the member state, there are even more financial consequences coming down the road for the EU - with wide-ranging implications that can t be solved by handing out legal punishments. The tribunal ruled: The attempt by the Court of Justice of the European Union to interfere in the Polish justice system violates the principle of rule of law, the principle of primacy of the Polish constitution as well as the principle of retaining sovereignty in the process of European integration. The question was submitted by Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki on whether the Court of Justice of the EU is going too far in its rulings on Poland s judicial system and exceeds its competences under the European Treaties. Poland may have got the ball rolling in a process that could effectively decouple the country s legal system from the other EU member states - and what s worse, others could follow their example. READ MORE: Take that, Macron! Paris humiliated as Truss outsmarts France.
EU-Australia trade deal on brink: Poland open to join AUKUS pact EU leaders reacted with anger to the ruling - something that continued throughout the EU summit last week despite the Prime Minister s assurances that the country was still committed to the bloc. Other leaders took a more conciliatory tone, with Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel saying rule of law is a core aspect of the European Union At the same time, we have to find ways of coming back together, because a cascade of cases at the European Court is not a solution. The Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo said: If you want to have the advantages of being in a club. You can't be a member of a club and say, 'the rules don't apply to me'. But many pressed for severe punishment - and EU Commission leader Ursula von der Leyen is currently devising an official reaction from the bloc, which will most likely come in the form of swift financial punishment.
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If businesses can no longer safely assume Poland will hold itself to these rules, it could have wide ranging legal complications for the single market and inspire similar moves from other EU states. Hungary has received backing from the nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban - with whom the EU has also sparred with this year. He said: The fact is very clear: the primacy of EU law is not in the treaty at all, so the EU has primacy where it has competences. What's going on here is regularly that national institutions circumvent the rights of the European parliament and government. And what's more, this row could have implications for the UK, with Brexit negotiators also making waves over the role of the ECJ.