Poland suspends constitutional court chief

Warsaw, Poland is in the midst of a constitutional crisis. The government announced on Friday that it has suspended Bogdan Swieczkowski, the president of the Constitutional Tribunal. This move follows a two-week standoff between the prime minister and the president over the independence of Poland's top legal body.

The tribunal serves as the final check on the compatibility of laws with the national constitution. Its status has been disputed for a decade. The Law and Justice party, which ruled from 2015 to 2023, controlled the court by replacing judges appointed by previous administrations. The European Court of Justice ruled in December 2025 that the tribunal lacked independence due to these politicized appointments. The EU withheld billions of euros in funds from Poland during that period, citing subverted democratic checks.

Donald Tusk's pro-European coalition took office in 2023 with a mandate to restore the rule of law. President Karol Nawrocki, a political ally of the former ruling party, has blocked those reforms since his 2025 election. Earlier this year, Nawrocki refused to swear in judges nominated by parliament. In response, Chief Judge Swieczkowski, a former deputy justice minister under Law and Justice, declined to seat the judges elected by the current parliamentary majority.

Tusk described the suspension as a necessary step to end years of instability. He stated that the process is difficult and painful but requires decisive action. In a televised speech on Saturday night, Tusk asserted that the tribunal would function independently of the executive branch. He said his duty is to ensure the court's safety and working conditions.

Nawrocki rejected the government's actions, calling it a forcible takeover of a constitutional body. He interrupted a trip to Senegal to return to Warsaw early Saturday. He arrived at the tribunal headquarters despite protests and chaos. He read a statement declaring that public order had been breached in the republic. Several hundred protesters gathered outside the building to demand Swieczkowski's reinstatement and to accuse the government of a coup.

Police guarded the court starting Friday afternoon. Officers detained three protesters on Friday night after they threw objects and attempted to break through the security fence. The prime minister compared the opposition's reaction to a thief claiming victimhood after losing a stolen purse. He emphasized that the court must operate in line with the constitution, not the preferences of the executive.

The current government is a broad coalition including the Civic Coalition, the Left, Poland 2050, and the Polish People's Party. Representatives from Poland 2050 and the Polish People's Party met with President Nawrocki on Saturday. Tusk did not attend that meeting. The president's camp aims to use the crisis to erode Tusk's parliamentary majority before next year's election.

A general assembly of tribunal judges is scheduled for Tuesday. The court requires a quorum of 10 out of its 15 judges to make decisions. The next parliamentary election is one year away. Tusk's coalition faces several hard-right parties that support the president's position. The outcome of this standoff will determine the balance of power in the coming legislative cycle.