Tusk for urgent meeting with Polish president over judiciary reform

European Council President Donald Tusk on Thursday said he has proposed an urgent meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda to discuss the political crisis "in our country", cautioning that their common task is to prevent Poland from being marginalized in Europe.

Tusk's move came amid a scathing row between Warsaw and Brussels over judicial reform in Poland.

"In my opinion, its recent actions are a denial of European values and standards and put our reputation at risk," Tusk said in a statement.

"The President certainly has a different view. But even the deepest differences do not absolve us from the duty of cooperation for the good and safety of our homeland," added Tusk, a former prime minister of Poland.

"The situation, also in the international dimension, is really serious. And therefore it requires serious resources and serious partners. Please try, Mr. President," said Tusk.

Prior to Tusk's call for dialogue, the European Commission on Wednesday expressed "grave concern" for "the clear risks for the independence of the judiciary" in Poland, saying it will take legal action against Warsaw next week, in the wake of a series of judiciary bills being proposed.

Polish ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski, in response, argued that judiciary reform is an exclusively internal affair.

On July 12, the Polish parliament adopted two bills which opposition said would politicize the judiciary and further subordinate it to the executive.

The Polish government's judicial reform, creeping since late 2015 when the PiS took power, has drawn criticism from the EU, which has sent Warsaw several warnings since then.