Poland's Duda Risks New Tensions With Ruling Party Over Army
- President wants decisive voice over army command, expert says
- Opposition says conflict between Duda and Law & Justice grows
Polish President Andrzej Duda makes a statement to announce that he will veto controversial judicial reforms in Warsaw on July 24, 2017. The planned reforms, that would have increased political control over the judiciary, had prompted huge street protests and threats of unprecedented EU sanctions. / AFP PHOTO / JANEK SKARZYNSKI (Photo credit should read JANEK SKARZYNSKI/AFP/Getty Images)
Photographer: JANEK SKARZYNSKI/AFP/Getty ImagesPolish President Andrzej Duda, who fell out with the ruling party last month over judicial reform, risked escalating tension by blocking army appointments proposed by the NATO member’s government.
Duda refused to sign off on the appointments of dozens of generals because of a lack of clarity over the proposed new system of command, according to Marcin Skowron, a spokesman for the National Security Bureau, which supports the president in his constitutional defense duties. Skowron couldn’t confirm on Wednesday the number of blocked appointments, which Polish media put at 46. The new generals were set to replace top brass removed by Defense Minister Antoni Macierewicz.