brussels eu executive launch unprecedented process wednesday suspend poland vote right european union two years dispute judicial reform brussels say undermine polish court independence european commission guardian eu law ask eu governments declare poland change judiciary constitute clear risk serious breach eu value especially rule law however give warsaw new prime minister take office month three months remedy situation say could rescind decision often refer eu nuclear option move carry ultimate threat sanction fact unlikely result commission today conclude clear risk serious breach rule law poland commission say statement judicial reform poland mean country judiciary political control rule majority absence judicial independence serious question raise effective application eu law commission deputy head first vice president frans timmermans conduct talk polish government dominate law justice party leader jaroslaw kaczynski past two years say act heavy heart oblige take action protect union whole open dialogue 24/7 timmermans say say prime minister mateusz morawiecki take office month change tack would ready respond timmermans insist guardians treaty commission strict responsibility act ... application rule law leave completely individual member state whole eu suffer decision merit opinion purely political decision beata mazurek spokeswoman poland rule party quote say state news agency pap sting britain vote last year leave union eu institutions battle rise euroskeptic nationalism across continent particularly former communist east poland ally hungary also prompt previously commission threaten sanction rule law seek counter warsaw accusations anti-polish bias brussels behavior timmermans work soviet bloc dutch diplomat praise poland historic contribution overcome cold war divide europe say warsaw bore special responsibility prevent new rifts open democratic principles want stand polish people time difficult us say add defend separation power existential importance polish nation eu whole next step process eu governments meet council european union hear poland ask address concern 22 eu 28 countries european parliament satisfy end process move next stag may mean sanction sanction involve suspension right derive application treaties member state question include vote right formulation leave open possibility also suspend eu financial transfer poland big beneficiary european fund aim boost live standards former communist country sanction impose back majority countries represent majority eu citizens get stage eu governments first unanimously agree initially risk serious breach rule law become reality unlikely happen hungary already declare would support motion poland mere threat underline sharp deterioration tie warsaw brussels since nationalist law justice pis party power late 2015. commission council europe legal experts know venice commission say poland judicial reform undermine judge independence give rule party control sack appointments judge well option end term supreme court judge early council europe europe human right watchdog compare measure soviet system pis government reject accusations say change need court slow inefficient steep communist era-mentality polish president andrzej duda jan. sign law eu executive move punish poland court reform