Poland’s constitutional crisis escalated on October 30 after the disputed suspension of Constitutional Tribunal President Bogdan Święczkowski triggered a police deployment, opposition protests, and accusations of an attempted coup. President Karol Nawrocki cut short his flight to Senegal and returned to Poland as the confrontation unfolded.
Police surrounded the Constitutional Tribunal in Warsaw after an announcement appeared on the court’s website stating that Święczkowski and his deputy, Bartłomiej Sochański, had been suspended from their duties.
Święczkowski rejected the move, while the tribunal’s official social media account alleged that its website had been unlawfully taken over and accused those involved of attempting a coup.
Officers prevented Święczkowski from entering the court grounds. Protesters gathered outside, and some breached the perimeter fence and threw objects at police. Authorities reported three arrests.
The confrontation stems from a prolonged struggle between Donald Tusk’s ruling coalition and the conservative opposition party “Law and Justice” (PiS), which governed Poland from 2015 to 2023.
Under Polish law, parliament elects Constitutional Tribunal judges, who must take an oath before the president. However, Nawrocki has refused to receive the oaths of several judges selected by the current parliamentary majority, questioning the legality of their appointments.
Some of those judges subsequently held alternative swearing-in ceremonies, while Święczkowski refused to allow them to assume their judicial duties.
The dispute has effectively paralyzed the Constitutional Tribunal, which is responsible for determining whether legislation complies with Poland’s Constitution.
The crisis also reflects years of conflict between Warsaw and the European Union over judicial independence. During PiS rule, the European Commission accused Polish authorities of undermining judicial independence and withheld substantial EU funding. Following Tusk’s return to power in 2023, Brussels moved to release previously blocked funds and later closed its rule-of-law proceedings against Poland.
Tusk has defended his administration’s actions as necessary to restore constitutional order, while opposition figures argue that the government is attempting to seize control of the judiciary.
The confrontation comes ahead of Poland’s 2027 parliamentary elections, with the country’s relationship with the EU and the independence of its courts emerging as major political disputes.
The legality of the tribunal leadership’s suspension remains contested, leaving unresolved who has the authority to direct one of Poland’s highest judicial institutions.
