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Western democratic values are under attack in many places in Russia, China, Turkey and even in Europe. So when the authoritarian-leaning government in Poland retreated from a planned assault on the judiciary, there was cause for celebration. The Post reported:

The president of Poland wielded his veto power on Monday to pull the nation back from further undermining the independence of its judiciary, rejecting two measures that European officials and tens of thousands of protesters have condemned as a danger to democracy and the rule of law.

The decision of the president,Andrzej Duda, opened an unexpected new chapter in adebatethat has riven Poland, once a model of post-communist democracy in Eastern Europe.

His morning announcement came as a surprise, and a setback, for the ruling right-wing Law and Justice party, which came to power in 2015.

President Trump hadnt helped the cause of democracy, when in a speech in Warsaw early in the month he lavished praise on the ethno-nationalist government and sought to cast Western values in religious, nativist terms, not as a reflection of liberal democracy. Whereas past presidents have focused on democracy in speeches delivered in the former Communist country, Trump is not one to extol the rule of law, minority rights or civil liberties. And thatsuited the Law and Justice Party just fine:

When George W. Bush visited Poland for his first presidential visit, in 2001, he referred to democracy 13 times. When Barack Obama spoke in Warsaw in 2014, he mentioned democracy nine times. For Mr Trump, once sufficed.

[The Law and Justice Partys] undermining of democratic institutions to entrench its own power. The party has stuffed the civil service and the diplomatic corps with loyalists and has weakened the independence of the judiciary. It has transformed the national broadcaster into a mouthpiece of the state. Independent journalists face new restrictions. The European Commission has warned the government that its reforms pose a systemic risk to the rule of law.

Yet Mr Trump, who seems to see . . . nostalgic nationalists as kindred spirits, has offered the government his unrestricted support.

The Polish government surely got the message that internal crackdowns would not affect its relations with the United States. As the assault on Polands independent courts gained momentum, the State Department tried a mild course correction.

Last week, the department put out a statement, which read in part, The Polish government has continued to pursue legislation that appears to undermine judicial independence and weaken the rule of law in Poland. We urge all sides to ensure that any judicial reform does not violate Polands constitution or international legal obligations and respects the principles of judicial independence and separation of powers. State Department officials tried to walk a very fine line: Poland is a close ally of the United States, and a strong and healthy democracy in Poland is vital to relations between our two countries.

In sum, Trumps rhetoric encourages ethno-nationalism, leaving the State Department to meekly offer reminders that we care about democracy as well. In this case, the heavy lifting was left to the European Union, which issued strong admonitions to the Polish government (even threatening to move to take away Polands voting power in the E.U.).

Michael Abramowitz of Freedom House told me, Parliaments attacks on independent institutions, whether it was the judiciary or the media, were rooted in the government partys rejection of liberal democracy. He continued, A substantial, vocal part of the population rejected the idea that democratic institutions were tools to be used by whoever was able to take control. He added: The E.U. recognized and understood that too, and spoke out. The presidents decision stopped populist authoritarianism from taking hold.

Other human rights advocates agree that it was a combination of internal demonstrations and external pressure that pushed Polish President Andrzej Duda to act. I think the popular protests made the difference, along with growing strains with the E.U. and Brussels, former State Department official and human rights expert David Kramer said. But I think it was Poles out in the streets that really got Dudas attention.

The battle is not over, however. While Duda vetoed two bills, he signed another that allows the party to hire and fire lower-level judges. The E.U. is having none of it:

An EU official said the bloc would push ahead with legal action against Poland if the reforms led to politicians dismissing judges.

If mass firing of judges starts, then a red line is crossed where all dialogue will need to be declared as failed,said the official, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, ahead of a European Commission meeting on Wednesday. For us the ultimate aim is to stop the firing of judges.

So far no word from the Trump administration. The president, you see, doesnt recognize that the impartial administration of justice is essential to free peoples. His contempt for institutions that curtail his power is a defining feature of this presidency. He insults the judiciary at home (so-called judge) and threatens his own Justice Departments attorney general and special counsel. If he wont stick up for the rule of law at home, he sure isnt going to defend it elsewhere.

For now, Trump stands with authoritarians; it will be up to the E.U. and the Polish people to stick up for the rule of law. What a sad decline in the influence and prestige of the United States.

See the rest here:
Trump is AWOL in the fight for democracy in Europe - Washington Post