Clashes between protesters and police in Warsaw after the suspension of the head of Poland's Constitutional Tribunal

Suspension of the tribunal's president and protests outside the court building

Protesters have gathered outside the Constitutional Tribunal in Warsaw since Friday evening, accusing the centre-right government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk of undermining the constitution and the judiciary. The trigger was an announcement on the tribunal's website that its president, Bogdan Święckowski, and his deputy had been suspended from office for one month; during this period the court will be led by judge Anna Korwin-Piotrowska. Święckowski is among the judges appointed by the conservative Law and Justice party (PiS), which governed from 2015 to 2023. This was reported by Deutsche Welle.

Police response and politicians' reactions

According to Warsaw police, officers responded to a request from one of the judges, who reported possible threats to the safety of judges and staff. Dozens of police special unit officers were sent to the court building after PiS supporters protested throughout the evening against Święckowski's suspension. The tribunal's official account on X called what happened a 'coup d'état'; chants of 'Tusk the traitor' could be heard among the protesters. Prime Minister Tusk backed the decision in a post on X: 'Restoring the rule of law is our duty,' adding that after the 'lawlessness led by PiS' this is a difficult, sometimes painful process that requires decisive action. President Karol Nawrocki began consultations with political representatives on Saturday; the first to arrive at the Presidential Palace was Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, leader of the Christian-conservative Polish People's Party, which is part of Tusk's coalition, who said he would discuss state security, respect for democracy, public peace and order.

The essence of the dispute over the tribunal

At the heart of the conflict is a struggle between Poland's two largest political camps for control over the Constitutional Tribunal. During its time in power, PiS appointed judges considered politically loyal, changing the composition of the court; subsequently, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that the tribunal could not be regarded as an independent and impartial body due to serious irregularities in the appointment of some judges and its then president. In recent months, President Nawrocki has refused to swear in five judges nominated by parliament; they took their oath before parliament, but Święckowski denied them access to the court building. After the 2023 parliamentary elections, Tusk's coalition announced its intention to reverse PiS's controversial judicial reforms — the current escalation is unfolding against this backdrop.