Adnkronos (Adnkronos) –
The institutional conflict in Poland between conservative President Karol Nawrocki and Prime Minister Donald Tusk's government over control of the Constitutional Court is escalating. After forcing entry into the Court's headquarters in Warsaw overnight, Nawrocki this morning warned that the crisis poses a threat to the country's internal security, calling for urgent consultations with all parliamentary forces to "stabilize the political situation and restore constitutional order."
Addressing protesters gathered outside the building, which was guarded by security forces, the head of state called for "the restoration of the rule of law and the withdrawal of government security forces deployed on the premises of the Court." Nawrocki had interrupted an official visit to Senegal to return to Warsaw last night, where he was captured on video forcing entry to the institution's premises.
The crisis escalated after the suspension of the President of the Constitutional Court, Bogdan Świeczkowski, and his deputy.
According to a statement published on the Court's website, Swieczkowski, appointed during the government of the nationalist and conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party, will be temporarily replaced by Anna Korwin-Piotrowska, one of five judges recently appointed by the current parliament but not recognized by Nawrocki, who is supported by PiS. The affair represents the latest chapter in a long-running dispute over the Polish judiciary.
During its years in government, from 2015 to 2023, PiS had appointed judges politically close to the party to the Court, drawing criticism from European institutions. The Court of Justice of the European Union had ruled that the body could not be considered independent and impartial due to serious irregularities in the procedures for appointing judges and its president. Following its 2023 election victory, the Tusk-led coalition began a process to dismantle the controversial judicial reforms introduced by previous governments.
The overnight events are being followed by a heated confrontation between the two sides. Swieczkowski denounced a "coup d'état" and "an attack on a constitutional institution," arguing that the Court is composed of "legally appointed judges, not usurpers who entered through the back door accompanied by government security forces." Justice Minister Waldemar Zurek's reaction was diametrically opposed, condemning Nawrocki's behavior, deeming his forced entry into the building unacceptable. "It is unacceptable that someone protected by presidential immunity would behave in this way," he told TVN24. "For me, this behavior is scandalous, and he exploits the situation to further fuel tensions in the streets."
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