Frozen funds: European Commission to release 137 billion euros for Poland

The European Commission is set to release 137 billion euros ($148 billion) of funding for Poland, which was frozen over rule of law concerns. EC President Ursula von der Leyen praised Poland’s efforts to restore the rule of law, leading to the decision to release the money.

During a joint press conference with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Warsaw, von der Leyen commended Poland’s actions and announced that the EC will table decisions releasing the funds next week. The country’s Justice Minister Adam Bodnar attended a meeting in Brussels to outline plans to reverse legal changes made by the previous government.

The European Commission had frozen the funding due to concerns that the previous government, in power from 2015 to 2023, had brought courts and judges under political control. This led to tensions between Warsaw and Brussels, prompting the withholding of billions of euros in recovery funds. Poland’s new pro-EU government, under Tusk, has committed to restoring judicial independence, leading to the release of the funds.