Tusk: we want to make sure Poland not leave EU against the will of people

PO leader Donald Tusk informed on Friday that the Civic Coalition parliamentary group has decided to submit draft changes to the constitution, aiming at implementing a "cast-iron guarantee that Poland will remain in the EU for as long as Poles want".

"So that no one comes up with an idea to lead Poland out of the EU in a night vote, with a simple majority, on the orders of a eurosceptic party," he stressed.

"Comments and actions by the ruling party clearly suggest that Poland's EU membership is at risk," the PO leader said.

"The aim of changes to the constitution is introducing an cast-iron guarantee that Poland's potential decision to leave the EU would be possible only through a referendum, or by a two-thirds majority in the Sejm and the Senate," Tusk explained.

Tusk emphasised that although the constitution-changing procedure could be launched now, its ratification would only be possible after the state of emergency at the eastern border has been called off. He added that the project authors did not plan to negotiate any additional changes to Poland's fundamental act.

"Our intention, as well as of the majority of Poles, is not to let ourselves be driven out of the Union despite the nation's will, or by accident," he said.

Poland's Constitutional Tribunal on Thursday delayed for a fourth time a ruling on whether the country's constitution or European Union treaties take precedence, with critics saying Warsaw may be stalling to try to put pressure on Brussels. The Tribunal started hearing the case in July but had already adjourned it three times before the Thursday sitting. The Tribunal head, Julia Przyłębska, said the sitting will be adjourned until October 7. Poland's nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) government is involved in a series of disputes with the EU on issues ranging from courts and media freedom to LGBT rights. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki brought the case in March as part of a conflict over changes it made to the country's judicial system. The EU has accused the government of politicising courts, including the Constitutional Tribunal. European Economic Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni has said the court challenge is holding up 57 billion euros ($48 billion) in EU pandemic recovery aid to Warsaw.

Most EU countries - but not Poland or Hungary - have already won approval from the bloc for their plans, unlocking access to funds to help restart growth. Some critics say delaying the Tribunal verdict is an attempt to put pressure on Brussels to accept Poland's plan. "I think this is an element of pressure on the European Commission, on EU partners, a sort of threat which is supposed to hang over this until the EU backs down," said Jan Grabiec, spokesman for the biggest opposition party Civil Platform. PiS says Brussels has no right to interfere with member states' judicial systems and argues the reforms were needed to remove communist-era influence in the judiciary. It denies having any influence over court decisions. The primacy of European laws over national ones is a key tenet of European integration. Polish opposition politicians say challenging it not only jeopardises the country's long-term future in the EU, but also the stability of the bloc itself.