Polish constitutional court faces leadership crisis as judges suspend president and deputy
Judges barred from hearing cases suspended Constitutional Tribunal president Bogdan Święczkowski and his deputy, prompting protests and accusations of a coup amid Prime Minister Donald Tusk's effort to reverse a previous judicial overhaul.
Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal descended into turmoil on Friday evening when a judge barred from hearing cases ordered the suspension of its president, Bogdan Święczkowski, and his deputy for a month, and announced she would assume leadership. Święczkowski rejected the move, describing it as a “coup d’état,” while his deputy was turned away at the building’s gates.
The incident marks an escalation in Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s campaign to undo changes made by the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) former government, which had filled the court with its appointees during its eight-year rule. The tribunal, which can annul legislation, had previously upheld a near-total abortion ban and challenged EU law supremacy, prompting a European Court of Justice ruling that it fell short of standards for judicial independence.
Outside the court, protesters clashed with police after objects were thrown at officers and three people were detained for climbing the fence. Police said they were deployed to protect judges and staff after receiving threats, but they did not enter the building.
PiS leader Jarosław Kaczyński joined the protest, attempted to enter the tribunal, and accused Tusk of staging a “coup” and turning Poland into a “police state,” calling for presidential intervention. President Karol Nawrocki, a PiS ally, cut short an official trip to Senegal, stating, “At a moment like this, the president must be in Poland.”
Tusk responded on X, writing, “Restoring the rule of law is our duty. After years of PiS lawlessness, it’s a difficult, sometimes painful process that requires decisive action. There is no other way.”
Justice Minister Waldemar Żurek blamed Święczkowski for turning the institution into a “private fiefdom” and preventing newly elected judges from performing their duties. He said he had submitted five requests to lift the immunity of Święczkowski and his deputy, supported by extensive case files, and defended the suspending judge’s action as legally appointed, asserting that the government was not involved.