WARSAW — Polish President Karol Nawrocki cancelled his official visit to Senegal on Friday and returned to Warsaw as a serious confrontation unfolded over control of the country’s Constitutional Tribunal.
Police were deployed outside the country’s highest constitutional court following reports of potential threats against judges and employees, as well as concerns about public disorder. Authorities denied allegations that officers had entered or forcibly occupied the building. However, three individuals were detained after reportedly climbing over the tribunal’s perimeter fence, while objects were allegedly thrown at police personnel.
The crisis intensified after orders appeared on the tribunal’s website announcing the temporary removal of its president, Bogdan Swieczkowski, and vice president, Bartlomiej Sochanski. However, the institution’s official social media account rejected the move, describing it as unlawful and insisting that both officials remained in their positions. It also characterized the attempted removal as a coup.
Nawrocki interrupted his journey while his aircraft was flying over southern Spain, saying that the situation required his presence in Poland.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk defended the government’s actions, arguing that restoring constitutional principles and the rule of law required firm measures. He linked the ongoing difficulties to judicial changes introduced under the former Law and Justice (PiS) administration.
The dispute has exposed growing tensions between Tusk’s government and Nawrocki, who maintains close ties with the conservative opposition. PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski and other opposition figures gathered outside the tribunal, accusing the government of attempting to take political control of the institution. Kaczynski urged the president to intervene.
At the centre of the confrontation is Judge Anna Korwin-Piotrowska, who reportedly ordered the tribunal’s president and vice president to suspend their duties. She maintained that seven judges were inside the building and confirmed that police had not entered the premises.
Disagreement Over Judicial Appointments
The confrontation stems from a broader constitutional dispute over the legitimacy of judicial appointments. Parliament selected Korwin-Piotrowska and several other judges earlier this year, but Nawrocki refused to formally accept the oaths of some appointees.
The president’s office maintains that the judges cannot legally assume their positions without completing this procedure. However, the judges and the governing coalition strongly disagree.
The situation has become more complicated following Justice Minister and Prosecutor General Waldemar Zurek’s move to seek the removal of judicial immunity from Swieczkowski and Sochanski. He submitted five applications to the tribunal, citing allegations involving serious criminal matters.
Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal has remained at the centre of a prolonged political and legal confrontation over judicial independence. The previous PiS government introduced major changes to the court after taking power in 2015, prompting criticism from opposition groups and European institutions.
Since returning to government in late 2023, Tusk’s coalition has pursued judicial reforms, arguing that institutional changes are necessary to restore constitutional order. However, PiS and its allies accuse the government of using these reforms to remove political opponents from influential state positions.
The standoff continued on Friday as Nawrocki prepared to return to Warsaw.
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