Polish Government and President Clash After Constitutional Tribunal Leadership Suspension

Poland descended deeper into a constitutional crisis as Prime Minister Donald Tusk defended the suspension of the Constitutional Tribunal leadership while President Karol Nawrocki denounced the move as a forced takeover of a state institution.

Judge Anna Korwin-Piotrowska announced the one-month suspension of Tribunal president Bogdan Święczkowski and his deputy, Bartłomiej Sochański, on Friday, declaring she would take charge of the institution following a dispute over the appointment of new judges whom Święczkowski refused to seat. Nawrocki interrupted a diplomatic trip to Senegal, ordered his flight back to Warsaw, and joined protesters and Law and Justice party members outside the court building where riot police deployed.

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered for multiple nights, resulting in three arrests after individuals attempted to enter the court complex. Tusk defended the intervention as a necessary step to restore the rule of law after years of political interference under the Law and Justice party, which governed from 2015 to 2023. Former prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki responded by announcing plans on October 31 to seek a constructive vote of no confidence against Tusk.

Jarosław Kaczyński addressed supporters at a party rally in Krynica and called for Poland to threaten to leave the European Union unless the European Commission is dismantled. The European Commission reiterated support for the Polish government, stating that parliament must hold the right to appoint new judges, and urged the president to accept the nominations.

The ongoing confrontation has also affected the National Bank of Poland, where the ruling coalition seeks to send governor Adam Glapinski before the State Tribunal.