Polish President convenes parties amid Constitutional Court crisis
President Karol Nawrocki is scheduled to meet with representatives from both the ruling and opposition parties on Saturday, October 31st, in an attempt to resolve a deepening political and institutional crisis. The situation escalated dramatically on Friday when police intervened at the Constitutional Tribunal in Warsaw.
“Due to the threat to the internal security of the Republic of Poland, I am convening urgent consultations with the participation of representatives of the parliamentary forces,” Nawrocki stated in a press release read early Saturday morning outside the Constitutional Tribunal by his chief of staff.
Protests have been ongoing outside the Tribunal, with dozens of riot police blocking access to the building for supporters of the national conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party. Demonstrators have been rallying in support of judges appointed by the PiS when it was in power. The current centrist government, led by Donald Tusk, seeks their removal, while President Nawrocki has voiced his support for them.
“This is a coup d’état by Prime Minister Donald Tusk. He is trampling on our constitutional rights,” said Tomasz Zaleski, a demonstrator, to an AFP journalist.
Radical right and far-right figures joined the protests Friday evening. Police reported arresting three individuals who attempted to enter the Tribunal grounds.
President Nawrocki, who was on an official trip to Senegal, abruptly returned to Warsaw. Following a meeting with the First President of the Supreme Court, he visited the Tribunal, which was surrounded by protesters and police. He reportedly navigated through a large crowd of officers to reach the building.
The Constitutional Tribunal has been a source of contention between Brussels and the PiS during their time in power (2015-2023), with the EU criticizing its perceived dependence on political influence. The PiS appointed judges with overt political leanings, which are not recognized by the EU or Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
Since returning to power in 2023, Donald Tusk, former President of the European Council, has pledged to resolve the crisis. “Restoring the rule of law is our duty,” Tusk stated. “After years of illegality under the PiS, it is a difficult, sometimes painful process that requires decisive action. There is no other way.”
Source
“Le président de la Pologne, convoque les partis pour trouver une issue à la crise politique après l'intervention de la police au Tribunal constitutionnel”
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