Poland’s Parliament approved a bill Thursday that would unblock the Constitutional Tribunal, which has been the subject of controversy since last year. The measure was introduced [AP report] by the ruling Law and Justice party (PiS) and passed 238-173 in the Sejm, the lower house of parliament. It will next proceed to the Senate, and then to President Andrzej Duda, who is expected to sign the bill into law. It is anticipated that the bill will pass before US President Obama and other world leaders arrive for a NATO [official website] summit. While the measure has been seen as positive, opponents of the ruling party have cautioned that the bill is simply cosmetic.

The international Venice Commission, a branch of the Council of Europe [official websites], began an investigation [press release] into Poland’s recent changes to its Constitutional Court this past February. The EU is examining the decision regarding the Constitutional Court as well as new media laws passed in January [JURIST reports]. Earlier this year the Polish government passed a controversial surveillance law [JURIST report] that grants the government [press release, Polish] greater access to digital data and broader use of surveillance for law enforcement. The PiS, a conservative party elected in October, holds an overwhelming majority [BBC report] of positions in the Polish government including the lead in both parliamentary houses and the presidency. Last December the leader of the European Parliament [official website] compared PiS’ rise to power in Poland to a coup [BBC report], leading to Parliament calling for an apology. PiS has rejected [DW report] criticisms that its policies are undermining democracy in Poland. However, there is a larger concern in the EU that new Polish law will erode checks and balances on government powers.