Where freedom is under threat MAPPED – Hong Kong, France, Poland and the UK

There are several other cases of European countries where democracy is blatantly under attack.

The recent court battles in Poland are a classic case, with the nation threatening “assertive” action against the EU if it does not release recovery funds.

The bloc is using this money to play hardball with Poland over the ongoing legal battle.

The European Court of Justice ruled in July that the Polish Government should suspend the activity of its own Supreme Court.

Poland ignored the ruling and announced a daily penalty of a million euros.

The nation’s Deputy Funds and Regional Policy Minister Waldemar Buda said if the European Commission does not approve of the recovery fund plan for the nation by the end of the year, Warsaw could take steps to undermine key EU initiatives such as the Fit for 55 climate package.

He said: “If we don’t settle the topic by the end of the year, our willingness to negotiate, the dynamics, and willingness to make concessions will be lower in the new year.”

The argument between the EU and Poland is “as much about morality and ethics as it is about military and national security,” according to Mr Stockbridge Sime.

A key problem in the ongoing Poland row is the migrant crisis at the Poland-Belarus border.

Mr Stockbridge Sime told Express.co.uk: “A migrant leaves their home because of fear, hunger, poverty, oppression etc to find a better life.

“In the Western liberal democracies, some applaud this endeavour whilst other fear it.

“The social opponent can be self-motivated or they can be manipulated. The former becomes a social and political/ethical issue, the latter is something more.

“Poland is insinuating that the migrants are being manipulated by Belorussia and therefore by Moscow.”