The EU parliament voted 502-149 in favour of endorsing a resolution expressing concern over media freedoms in Poland and criticising a draft law targeting a U.S. Discovery-owned TV news channel TVN, which is critical of the government.
The non-binding resolution further laments the erosion of judicial independence, the use of litigation to silence critics, and attempts to block sex education classes.
It criticises Poland for setbacks to women's sexual and reproductive health and rights, as well as discrimination of gays, saying the EU should withhold funds to Warsaw.
Nineteen of the bloc's 27 countries - but not Poland - already won European Commission approval for their national spending plans, unlocking access to tens of billions of euros from the bloc in COVID-19 recovery funds.
The Commission has also criticised Poland over lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender rights following a decision by some Polish communities to declare themselves "LGBT-free".
The Ministry of Family and Social Policy dismissed concerns of discrimination, saying on Wednesday that it did not legally limit the right of all people to live or work there.
The Commission is likely to judge this reasoning as faulty and to tell Poland to make amends, or face a lawsuit at the top EU court, which might order redress as well as fines.
Warsaw has said it would plug the gaps in funding should the self-proclaimed "LGBT-free" zones lose EU money.
Źródło: TVN24 News in English, Reuters
Źródło zdjęcia głównego: EBS