judges — is aimed at reforming the judicial system and to ensure any vestiges of communism are purged."

The new law would allow Duda to choose who gets to stay on the court and to name new judges to replace anyone he wants to remove.

The changes were backed by the Law and Justice party, also known as as PiS. The party, which NPR's Camila Domonoske has described as "conservative, populist, Euro-skeptic and nationalist," is showing strong support in public opinion polls, despite the controversy.

A monthly poll found PiS leading all parties with 37 percent of likely voters saying they would back the party, according to Radio Poland. The poll was conducted on Tuesday and Wednesday, amid large street protests against the party's plan for the judiciary.

Even before the Senatesince Duda and his party won both the presidency and Parliament in 2015.

In Brussels, the European Commission said this week that it "expresses grave concern about clear risks for the independence of the judiciary," citing proposals to alter how the Supreme Court is chosen and other changes to Poland's legal system.

Saying that the laws "would increase the systemic threat to the rule of law in Poland," the Commission urged Poland's leaders to hold off on making any changes and return to talks with the EU that have been going on since January of 2016.