Polish President Karol Nawrocki returned to Warsaw from Senegal on Saturday and accused Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government of taking over the Constitutional Tribunal by force after its president and deputy were suspended, deepening a long-running fight over control of Poland’s courts.
On Friday, Oct. 30, Judge Anna Korwin-Piotrowska ordered a one-month suspension of tribunal president Bogdan Święczkowski and his deputy, Bartłomiej Sochański. She said she would take charge of the court. Święczkowski rejected her authority.
Nawrocki called the move a violation of Poland’s constitutional order. Korwin-Piotrowska is one of five judges elected by the current parliament whose appointments Nawrocki has not recognized. Święczkowski had also barred them from hearing cases.
Police were sent to the tribunal after Korwin-Piotrowska cited possible safety threats. Protests followed, and police said three people were arrested. After returning, Nawrocki went to the court and called for urgent talks with parliamentary parties.
No breakthrough was reported by Saturday afternoon. Tusk defended his government’s efforts to restore the rule of law. The standoff deepened a dispute that has left the tribunal largely unable to function.
The standoff also formed part of Poland’s broader conflict with the European Union over judicial independence.