“Böyle bir anda Cumhurbaşkanı Polonya’da olmalı,” declared Karol Nawrocki as he diverted his flight back to Warsaw on Oct. 30.
Police enter Constitutional Tribunal amid leadership suspension
Polish police entered the Constitutional Tribunal complex in Warsaw on Oct. 30 after the court’s website announced the one-month suspension of Bogdan Swięczkowski and Vice President Bartłomiej Sochański.
The court’s management immediately contested the move. According to NTV Haber, the current administration claims the website was illegally seized and maintains that the suspension is invalid, labeling the events a “coup attempt.” Judge Anna Korwin-Piotrkowska has been named as the interim head of the court.
Did you know? The crisis reached a physical peak when Bogdan Swięczkowski attempted to enter his own court by cutting a chain at the entrance, only to be stopped by riot police, according to Odatv.
Nawrocki diverts flight from Senegal to Warsaw
Karol Nawrocki was in Spanish airspace on his way to an official visit to Senegal when he learned of the police operation. He announced via X that he was cutting the flight short to return to Poland. Reuters, cited by NTV Haber, confirmed the aircraft turned back mid-flight.
Tusk defends rule of law measures
Donald Tusk defended the government’s actions on X, stating, “It is our duty to restore the rule of law.” Tusk described the process as difficult and sometimes painful following years of “lawlessness” under the previous PiS government, asserting that “there is no other way.”
Justice Minister and Prosecutor General Waldemar Żurek has submitted a 50-volume investigation file to the Constitutional Tribunal to lift the immunity of Swięczkowski and Sochański and hold them criminally responsible.
Opposition labels police operation a coup
The Law and Justice (PiS) party, led by Jarosław Kaczyński, has condemned the police presence as an illegal intervention. According to Sözcü Gazetesi, opposition leaders called on citizens to gather in front of the court to protest. AFP reported that supporters of PiS gathered at the building, some chanting slogans against Tusk and others praying with religious symbols.
While some reports suggest the police “raided” the building on Tusk’s orders, Odatv notes that police officials claim they did not enter the interior of the building. Police stated the intervention was necessary because protesters threw dangerous objects at security forces.
Judicial deadlock paralyzes court functions
The current crisis is the result of a long-standing dispute over judge appointments. NTV Haber reports that President Nawrocki previously refused to swear in three of six judges nominated by Parliament. Simultaneously, President Swięczkowski had blocked those same judges from beginning their duties, effectively paralyzing the court’s operations.
Case Detail: The conflict centers on who holds the authority to appoint and validate judges in the Constitutional Tribunal—the Parliament or the Presidency.
Common questions on the Polish judicial crisis
Why were the Constitutional Tribunal leaders suspended?
What was the police’s stated reason for entering the complex?
Police cited security requests and the need to protect the premises after protesters allegedly threw dangerous objects at security forces, as reported by NTV Haber and Odatv.
Who is currently leading the Constitutional Tribunal?
Judge Anna Korwin-Piotrowska has been appointed as the interim head, though the current leadership claims this appointment is illegal.
“PiS iktidarının yıllarca süren hukuksuzluğunun ardından bu zor, zaman zaman sancılı bir süreçtir ve kararlı adımlar atılmasını gerektirir,” Tusk stated.
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