EU executive gives Poland more time in rule of law probe

European Commission First Vice-President Frans Timmermans addresses a news conference at the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, May 4, 2016. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir

BRUSSELS/WARSAW (Reuters) - The European Union gave Poland more time on Tuesday to settle a constitutional crisis, saying it was not about to escalate its unprecedented investigation into whether government policies were threatening the rule of law.

The EU executive Commission launched its inquiry after the government changed the way the constitutional court operates, something critics said undermined the tribunal's ability to uphold democratic checks and balances.