THE HINDU Editorial Vocabulary-July 27, 2017- Topic 2

Poles apart - On Poland's war on democratic institutions

Poland’s right-wing government has been waging a relentless war on democratic institutions ever since it assumed office in 2015. But it may have gone too far now with its moves to curb judicial independence, which have been categorically opposed by President Andrzej Duda. Mr. Duda, an ally of the ruling Law and Justice Party (PiS), vetoed two measures that militate against the rule of law. One of them requires all judges of the Supreme Court to step down, except those the President thinks should stay on. 

The second gives Parliament control over the mechanism that deals with their appointment. However, he did assent to another controversial measure which empowers the justice minister to sack the heads of lower courts. The government of Prime Minister Beata Szydło was able to initiate these unpopular pieces of legislation because it has already stripped the tribunal that adjudicates on the constitutionality of laws relating to its powers. The government has claimed that the overhaul was intended to rid the judicial system of Soviet-era remnants. But most Poles seem to think otherwise. They have tasted economic prosperity and political freedoms in the post-Cold-War years and after the country’s 2004 accession to the European Union. They have also grown accustomed to standing up for their rights against arbitrary encroachment, and with success. The government was forced to reverse a socially regressive policy on abortion that even criminalised termination of pregnancies regardless of circumstances, including rape.

Outrage against the latest judicial reforms has drawn thousands to the streets in protest against the PiS regime. Poland has been the poster child of the EU’s integration, and the institutional clampdown in this otherwise thriving economy is understandably causing concern in other European capitals. The European Commission has said it would start legal proceedings. Under the Rule of Law Framework, it can strip a member-country of its voting rights. But given the sensitivities about national sovereignty, there are bound to be limits on the application of procedures, even where they may be sound under the law. Moreover, Hungary’s continued clash with the EU over similar issues seems to have made little difference to its dismal record on democratic governance and accountability. Experience suggests that leading by example and exerting diplomatic pressure, rather than preaching from the pulpit, is a more realistic and effective course to adopt. The art and craft of stitching up pragmatic, if sometimes painful, political compromises has been the story of the EU, where the imperatives of staying together trump almost all else. Poland’s robust civil society may, in the end, be more effective in keeping its government accountable.

Vocabulary

Relentless: oppressively constant; incessant.

Example: The relentless heat of the desert

Synonyms: persistent, continuing, constant, continual, continuous, nonstop

Militate: be a powerful or conclusive factor in preventing.

Example: These fundamental differences will militate against the two communities coming together

Synonyms: tend to prevent, work against, hinder, discourage

Assent: express approval or agreement, typically officially.

Example: Roosevelt assented to the agreement

Synonyms: agree to, accept, approve, consent to, acquiesce in

Stripped: leave bare of accessories or fittings.

Example: Thieves stripped the room of luggage

Synonyms: empty, clear, clean out, plunder, rob, burgle, burglarize

Adjudicate: make a formal judgment or decision about a problem or disputed matter.

Example: The committee adjudicates on all betting disputes

Remnant: a small remaining quantity of something.

Example: It happened in front of the Western Wall, the last remnant of the Second Temple.

Synonyms: remains, remainder, leftovers, residue, rest, residuum

Prosperity: the state of being prosperous.

Example: A long period of prosperity

Synonyms: success, profitability, affluence, wealth, opulence, luxury

Encroachment: intrusion on a person's territory, rights, etc..

Example: Minor encroachments on our individual liberties

Outrage: an extremely strong reaction of anger, shock, or indignation.

Example: Her voice trembled with outrage

Synonyms: indignation, fury, anger, rage, disapproval, wrath, resentment

Strip: an act of undressing, especially in a striptease.

Example: She got drunk and did a strip on top of the piano

Dismal: depressing; dreary.

Example: The dismal weather made the late afternoon seem like evening

Synonyms: dingy, dim, dark, gloomy, dreary, drab, dull, bleak, cheerless

Exert:  apply or bring to bear (a force, influence, or quality).

Example: The moon exerts a force on the Earth

Synonyms: bring to bear, apply, exercise, employ, use, utilize, deploy

Realistic: having or showing a sensible and practical idea of what can be achieved or expected.

Example: Jobs are scarce at the moment, so you've got to be realistic

Synonyms: practical, pragmatic, matter-of-fact, down-to-earth, sensible

Accountable: equired or expected to justify actions or decisions; responsible.

Example: Government must be accountable to its citizens

Synonyms: responsible, liable, answerable, to blame