Poland was plunged into a constitutional crisis after a senior judge suspended the country’s Constitutional Tribunal chief and vice president, prompting accusations of a coup, street protests and a police lockdown of the court in Warsaw.
President Karol Nawrocki abruptly cut short his trip mid-air to Senegal and returned to Poland as rival political camps clashed over the controversial move on October 30.
Judge Anna Korwin-Piotrowska, the longest-serving member of the court, announced the decision and said she would assume leadership of the institution, arguing that the move was necessary to restore the rule of law. The court’s website became inaccessible shortly after the announcement, adding to the uncertainty surrounding the rapidly escalating situation. The developments prompted Polish President Karol Nawrocki to cut short his official trip to Senegal and return home.
Explaining his decision in a post on X, Nawrocki said the seriousness of the situation required him to remain in Poland. “At a moment like this, the President must be in Poland. I am cutting my flight to Senegal short. I am returning,” he wrote.
In a later announcement, his chief of staff, Pawel Szefernaker, said Nawrocki entered the Constitutional Tribunal building early Saturday, accompanied by Supreme Court First President Zbigniew Kapinski.
The suspension triggered demonstrations outside the Tribunal’s headquarters in Warsaw.
Police officers, including riot police, secured the premises and restricted access to the building as protesters gathered.
Some demonstrators voiced support for the suspended court leadership and criticised the Government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk, chanting slogans against him.
The Constitutional Tribunal’s official account on X described the events as a “coup d’etat”, intensifying the political confrontation between the country’s rival camps.
The controversy also had diplomatic repercussions. Poland’s ambassador to China, Jakub Kumoch, announced his resignation, saying the latest developments had made it impossible for him to continue representing the country.
In his resignation statement on X, Kumoch said he had formally requested his recall with immediate effect. Foreign Minister Rados?aw Sikorski responded sharply, accusing the ambassador of ending his diplomatic assignment unprofessionally and declaring that he no longer represented Poland.
The confrontation reflects a broader struggle over the independence and political composition of Poland’s judiciary. The Constitutional Tribunal has been at the centre of disputes between the current pro-European coalition and the national-conservative Law and Justice party (PiS), which governed Poland between 2015 and 2023.
During its time in power, PiS introduced major changes to the judicial system. Critics, including European Union institutions, argued that these reforms undermined judicial independence and increased political influence over the courts.
The changes also created repeated confrontations between Warsaw and Brussels, with the EU imposing financial penalties over concerns about the rule of law.
The Tribunal became particularly controversial after issuing decisions that challenged the supremacy of certain European Union legal provisions over Polish national legislation.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s coalition, which took office in 2023, pledged to reverse the judicial changes introduced by its predecessors and rebuild confidence in Poland’s legal institutions.
However, its efforts have encountered resistance, including presidential vetoes by two presidents associated with the PiS political camp.
The Government has also accused Swieczkowski, who assumed the Tribunal’s presidency during the PiS era, of obstructing the appointment of judges selected by the current parliamentary majority.
Tusk defended his Government’s approach in a social media statement on Friday, arguing that restoring constitutional order was a necessary responsibility despite the difficulties involved.
He maintained that correcting the damage caused by previous judicial reforms required firm decisions. The prime minister had previously outlined plans to restore the Tribunal’s membership with judges he considers lawfully appointed, acknowledging that the process could prove controversial.
PiS leaders strongly rejected the suspension of the Tribunal’s leadership, portraying it as an attack on Poland’s constitutional framework.
Former Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro called the action an unlawful assault on the country’s constitutional institutions and urged supporters to respond with determined, united opposition.
The latest confrontation highlights the deep divisions within Poland over the future of its judiciary, the limits of executive authority and the country’s constitutional arrangements.
With the president returning from abroad, security forces surrounding the court and rival political groups exchanging accusations, the suspension has developed into a major test of Poland’s institutional stability.
The immediate question remains whether the competing sides can resolve the dispute through constitutional and legal channels or whether the confrontation will deepen the country’s political crisis.