Through its political group in the European Parliament, Poland s ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party is to propose new basic treaties for the EU that would provide "more freedom" for its member states, PiS president and deputy Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski said in an interview published on Monday.

During his lengthy interview with Rzeczpospolita, a centre-right daily that tends to be critical of the government, Mr Kaczynski was asked whether the EU s post-pandemic recovery package – designed to revitalise member states economies via joint loans – would strengthen integration within the bloc.

Mr Kaczynski described the linking of the pandemic to the issue of deeper EU integration as a „one off.” He said „they made use of the opportunity”, adding that „efforts toward integration are a fact”. The Law and Justice (PiS) party is fighting to prevent the implementation of such an integration concept, he emphasized.

PiS wants to present its own project on organising the EU with the mediation of its political group in the European Parliament, the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), Mr Kaczynski said.

Contrary to ideas aimed at deepening federalism, this concept presupposes a confederate structure, based on which the EU can become a „real superpower, providing at the same time much more independence for nation states”, Mr Kaczynski said.

Basic treaties are not observed in the EU, the PiS chief said, expressing hope that PiS and ECR will, „after some time”, be able to propose new draft basic treaties, aiming to present the concept both at a wider, European level, and also within the smaller circle of the Visegrad Group and the Three Seas Initiative. „We see this completely differently from those who currently dominate the EU,” Mr Kaczynski said. 

Regarding the separation of EU instruments from rule of law issues, a compromise reached at a European Council session in mid-December, Mr Kaczynski said „Poland was given a good weapon” because the EU will still not be able to interfere with issues that fall under the member states remit. „We won t back down, and those who believe that we may change our policies because of threats about withholding EU funds are wrong,” he said.

Pledging to continue the process of judicial reforms in Poland, Mr Kaczynski stressed that judges must respect the country s constitution, even though Poland s court system today, „as a whole, is practically above the state”.

As to the PiS party s leadership election congress slated to take place after the pandemic, the 71-year-old politician said he will once again run for the post of party president, adding however, that „this will surely be the last time.”