Vice-President Frans Timmermans announced a "preliminary assessment" under the EU's rule of law mechanism to assess rapid changes made by the newly elected right-wing government in Poland related to the constitutional court and media regulations. The European Commission decided to use for the first time its “democracy monitoring” powers granted under the EU’s rule of law mechanism adopted in 2014. The step comes after Polish President Andrzej Duda approved controversial laws allowing the government to appoint the heads of public TV and radio, and choose judges for the constitutional court.