In brief
On Nov. 1, the Constitutional Tribunal announced a one‑month suspension of its president and vice‑president, triggering protests and a standoff between President Karol Nawrocki and Prime Minister Donald Tusk. The crisis stems from the refusal to recognize five new judges appointed by the former Law and Justice government, raising questions about Poland’s rule of law and its relationship with the European Union.
On Nov. 1, the Constitutional Tribunal in Warsaw announced a one‑month suspension of its president and vice‑president, a move that sparked sharp protests and a political standoff between President Karol Nawrocki and Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
The suspension was announced on the tribunal’s website in the evening, naming judge Anna Korwin‑Piotrowska to oversee the court temporarily. The court’s social‑media post that followed described the website’s takeover as “illegally taken over” and accused the actors of staging a coup.
Within hours, supporters of the opposition gathered outside the tribunal. Police clashed with the demonstrators; three protesters who entered the grounds were detained and several were reportedly injured.
President Karol Nawrocki returned to Warsaw from a visit to Senegal, arriving at the court in the early hours of Saturday. A heated confrontation erupted between him and several judges, escalating into pushing and shoving outside the building. His chief of staff, Paweł Szefernaker, read a statement accusing those involved of violating Poland’s constitutional order and of taking over the institution “by force.”
After the incident, Karol Nawrocki called for urgent talks with parliamentary parties. He met representatives of the Polish People’s Party and the opposition Law and Justice party, but the Civic Coalition did not attend. He urged the parties to restore constitutional order and stabilize the political situation.
In a televised address on Saturday evening, Donald Tusk accused Law and Justice and President of undermining the rule of law. He warned that no politician, not even the president, had the right to issue orders to judges or intimidate them, and pledged to secure the tribunal and preserve its independence.
With the tribunal embroiled in a dispute over the recognition of five newly appointed judges, the crisis threatens to affect Poland’s judicial independence and could strain its relations with the European Union.
