Poland's Court Crisis: President's Mid-Air U-Turn, Riot Police And Street Protests

A fresh political crisis has erupted in Poland after the suspension of the head of its constitutional tribunal intensified the power struggle between Prime Minister Donald Tusk's centrist government and nationalist forces over control of the judiciary.

The Constitutional Tribunal announced that its longest-serving judge, Anna Korwin-Piotrowska, had suspended the court's president, Bogdan Swieczkowski, on Friday, and taken over his duties. Swieczkowski was appointed during the tenure of Tusk's far-right predecessor, according to Reuters.

The suspension brought hundreds of protesters to the tribunal late Friday, with police deployed in large numbers. Right-wing politicians addressed the gathering, accusing Tusk's government of staging a coup against the court.

The crisis also led Polish President Nawrocki, an ally of PiS, the opposition party, to end his official visit to Senegal early. Explaining his decision on X, he said, "At a moment like this, the President must be in Poland. I am cutting short my flight to Senegal. I am returning."

Bogdan Swieczkowski joined the tribunal under the Law and Justice (PiS) government, which ruled Poland between 2015 and 2023.

Since taking office, Tusk's pro-European administration has pushed for changes to the court, seeking to remove judges appointed under the previous nationalist government. It says these changes are necessary to restore the tribunal's independence.

What Is The Case?

The Constitutional Tribunal has been caught in a prolonged power struggle that has left its work largely paralysed. The conflict centres on rival appointments, with Prime Minister Donald Tusk's pro-European government and the nationalist president refusing to accept judges nominated by the opposing camp.

The roots of the current crisis go back to 2015, when the Law and Justice (PiS) party tried to fill judicial positions that had already been occupied by judges appointed by the previous government.

The party's nominees eventually secured a majority on the Constitutional Tribunal. This led to criticism from both within Poland and abroad, with critics questioning whether the court could still function as an independent and impartial institution.

Tusk defended his government's actions in a post on X, saying its aim was to bring back the rule of law. The European Union had previously accused the former ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party of undermining it.

When Tusk's coalition came to power in 2023, it promised to reverse the changes and bring the judiciary in line with the rule of law. But its efforts have faced resistance from President Nawrocki, a PiS ally, since he won the presidency in 2025.

The disagreement over judicial appointments has continued this year. Nawrocki refused to swear in three of the six judges chosen by parliament.

Meanwhile, Swieczkowski, who previously served as a deputy justice minister under the PiS government, refused to recognise judges elected by the current parliamentary majority.