EU moves to end standoff with Poland over anti-EU policies and begins to release billions in funds

By RAF CASERT
Associated Press

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union has taken a major step in ending its standoff with member state Poland. Its commission has announced it will begin releasing billions of euros to Poland that were frozen over the previous government’s policies that the bloc said amounted to widespread backsliding on democratic principles. The move is an important reward for new Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. He has sought relentlessly since taking office in December to overturn a series of measures by the previous conservative government. Thursday’s move opens the way for up to 135 billion euros in EU aid to go to Poland over the coming few years.