Berlin – ESI organises brainstorming about the rule of law in Poland

Brainstorming on upcoming key moments in the battle for the respect of the rule of law in Poland. In the picture Polish Ombudsman Adam Bodnar (centre), his deputy Maciej Taborowski (left) and Piotr Buras of the ECFR office in Warsaw (right). Photo: Kristof Bender/ESI

On 23 and 24 November 2019 the Rafto Foundation from Norway and ESI invited lawyers, judges and rule of law specialists to Berlin to discuss how to counter the increasing challenges to the rule of law in Poland. 

Among the participants were Polish Ombudsman Adam Bodnar, his deputy Maciej Taborowski, Paulina Kieszkowska-Knapik and Michal Wawrykiewicz of the Free Courts Initiative, Malgorzata Szuleka of the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, Piotr Buras of ECFR, the Chair of the Norwegian Judges Association Wiggo Storhaug Larssen, Oslo University Professor Christophe Hillion and Jostein Hole Kobbeltvedt and Iver Orstavik from the Rafto Foundation. From ESI Gerald Knaus, John Dalhuisen, Magdalena Milenkovska and Kristof Bender participated. 

The two days of intensive debate focused on developing a detailed understanding of the current developments in Poland, the thinking of European institutions and key EU member states, and concrete policy ideas for the coming months. 

• ESI proposal: Fighting the ghosts of Soviet justice– The EU needs to take Poland to court again
• ESI newsletter, Tolstoy, Causes, Poland and the Aegean (15 April 2019)
• ESI report, Under Siege – Why Polish courts matter for Europe (22 March 2019)
• ESI report, Where the law ends. The collapse of the rule of law in Poland - and what to do (29 May 2018)
• ESI newsletter, European tragedy – the collapse of Poland's Rule of law (29 May 2018)

At Märkisches Museum, delving into Berlin's history. Gerald Knaus, Paulina Kieszkowska-Knapik, Iver Orstavik and Magdalena Milenkovska. Photo: Kristof Bender/ESI

At a walk in Görlitzer Park. From left to right: Malgorzata Szuleka, Piotr Buras, Adam Bodnar, Magdalena Milenkovska. Photo: ESI