EU urges Poland to ensure the Constitutional Tribunal's functioning amid deepening crisis

European Commission statement

The European Union on Sunday called on the Polish authorities to ensure the functioning of the Constitutional Tribunal in accordance with the country's constitution and European legal standards amid a deepening political crisis. As the Anadolu agency reported, a European Commission spokesperson said the Commission was closely monitoring recent developments and stressed that ensuring the Tribunal operates in line with the Polish constitution and the case law of the EU Court of Justice is the task of the Polish authorities.

Legal basis of the appointments

The Commission spokesperson noted that the appointment of eight new members of the Tribunal falls within the constitutional powers of the Sejm, the lower house of parliament. She cited an opinion of the Venice Commission dated October 13, 2026, which confirmed the Sejm's right to make these appointments. In addition, she said, on May 5, 2026, the European Court of Human Rights adopted interim measures obliging the Polish authorities not to obstruct the swearing-in and judicial duties of judges appointed by the Sejm in March 2026.

Escalation of the crisis around the Tribunal

Brussels' statement followed a sharp escalation on Friday, when the Tribunal announced the immediate suspension of the powers of its president, Bogdan Święckowski, and vice-president, Bartłomiej Sochański. Control of the body temporarily passed to judge Anna Korwin-Piotrowska, a protégé of the current parliamentary majority. Police were deployed around the building after Korwin-Piotrowska warned of threats to judges and staff and possible unrest.

Reaction of the president and prime minister

Polish President Karol Nawrocki cut short an official visit to Senegal on Friday evening and returned to Warsaw, heading straight to the Tribunal's headquarters. According to media reports, tense scuffles broke out inside the building between the president's aides and the newly appointed judges. Leaving the Tribunal, Nawrocki declared the situation a violation of Poland's constitutional order and called for urgent consultations among the leaders of parliamentary factions. Prime Minister Donald Tusk, in a televised address on Saturday evening, defended the government's actions, saying that restoring the rule of law remained his responsibility, and accused Nawrocki and the conservative opposition of undermining the rule of law. He also said the police had protected the Tribunal from attackers. The dispute has heightened tensions between the president and the government over the legitimacy and control of one of the country's highest judicial bodies.