Poland's president came under heavy criticism from political opponents Wednesday after he called the European Union an "imaginary community" of little relevance to Poles. Duda and government officials insist that the changes, which give the ruling party vast new powers over the courts, are democratic, making judges more accountable. Poland joined the EU in 2004, a step that has brought 14 years of strong economic growth, fueled by billions of euros received from various EU funds. The spokeswoman for the ruling party "protested strongly" against any suggestion that it was trying to "eliminate" Poland from the 28-member bloc. "We are a part of the EU, we are in the EU and absolutely nothing is changing that," Beata Mazurek said.

Source: ABC News September 12, 2018 10:15 UTC