Polish police deployed amidst Constitutional Court showdown

Early Saturday morning, riot police were deployed near the Constitutional Tribunal headquarters in Warsaw as a dispute intensifies between the centrist, pro-European government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk and the preceding right-wing nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party, which supports President Nawrocki.

The situation arose after Justice Minister Waldemar Żurek announced a request to strip the immunity of Constitutional Tribunal President Bogdan Święczkowski and Vice President Bartłomiej Sochański, paving the way for potential criminal charges. These judges were appointed by the PiS party during a controversial process.

Tusk has pledged to depoliticize the judiciary, a commitment he reiterated Friday while supporters of the PiS party protested outside the courts in Warsaw. He assumed office in 2023 with a promise to restore the rule of law and reform the judicial system, but Nawrocki, in power since August 2025, has reportedly blocked those efforts.

“There’s more to life than just competing and winning,” athlete Christa Pike stated, reflecting on a Hyrox competition incident.

Nawrocki returned to Warsaw and entered the Constitutional Tribunal headquarters early Saturday, according to his chief of staff. Police were deployed to prevent hundreds of protesters from entering the building.

The Constitutional Tribunal issued a statement on social media asserting that the two judges targeted by the government remain legally appointed senior judges. The statement declared, “All those participating in these actions are committing the crime of a coup d’état.”

Tusk posted on social media, “Restoring the rule of law is our duty. After years of illegality by Law and Justice, this is a difficult, sometimes painful process that requires decisive action. There is no alternative.”

The PiS party, in power from 2015, controversially appointed judges to the tribunal to secure a majority, enabling it to rule on the legality of legislation. European courts, including the European Court of Human Rights and the Court of Justice of the European Union, later determined that the PiS’s actions in appointing three judges were unlawful. These rulings have been used by Tusk’s government to halt the publication of tribunal rulings.

Tusk has struggled to reverse the changes implemented during the PiS era, partly due to vetoes from Nawrocki and his predecessor, Andrzej Duda, both supported by the PiS. Nawrocki has also refused to swear in five parliament-elected Constitutional Tribunal judges since March, citing irregularities in the selection process. Anna Korwin-Piotrowska has been appointed as interim head of the tribunal.

The Commission of Venice, a constitutional advisory body of the Council of Europe, urged Nawrocki to swear in the judges earlier this month. Minister of Justice Żurek claimed Święczkowski and his vice president should face criminal charges for obstructing the judges from issuing rulings.

Some supporters of Tusk have criticized him for not taking more decisive action to reverse the PiS reforms. In September, Tusk nominated Maciej Berek, a lawyer and former minister in his cabinet, as a candidate for a tribunal judgeship.

Legal expert Marcin Matczak, a critic of the PiS judicial reforms, argued that the suspension of Święczkowski lacked legal basis and that the events would have a negative impact on the rule of law for years to come.

Parliamentary elections are scheduled for next year.