The EU’s executive decides to end legal standoff with Poland over democracy concerns

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union’s executive has decided to end its 6-year dispute with member state Poland. It says Prime Minister Donald Tusk has initiated the necessary changes to reverse what the bloc called the previous government’s backsliding on democratic principles. The EU’s decision to withdraw its case over rule of law complaints follows one in February to start releasing billions of euros that it had frozen in the dispute. The EU and Poland had been at odds after the stridently nationalist Law and Justice party came to power in 2015 and implemented reforms that critics said placed Poland’s judiciary under political control.