The key facts

  • Maria Zakharova compared the crisis in Poland with the Maidan of 12 years ago
  • On October 30, protesters gathered outside the Constitutional Tribunal in Warsaw
  • Polish President Karol Nawrocki called the situation a 'forcible seizure'

Comparison with Maidan

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova compared the crisis in Poland with the Maidan in Ukraine 12 years ago, which, according to her, was supported by Warsaw. The post was published on her official Telegram channel. She suggested imagining that a 'landing party of foreign ministers, senators and deputies' descends on the central squares of Warsaw, the foreign minister of a neighboring state walks along the barricades with the leader of the protesters, a foreign deputy minister hands out buns to the demonstrators, and the guests propose a third round of elections — 'of judges, or perhaps of the president.' In Zakharova's view, the republic's authorities would not welcome such a scenario.

What is happening in Warsaw

The escalation was triggered by a conflict over the leadership of the Constitutional Tribunal. On October 30 in Warsaw, a crowd of protesters gathered outside the court building. A notice appeared on its website announcing the removal of President Bogdan Święckowski and Deputy Bartłomiej Sochański, after which judge Anna Korwin-Piotrowska declared herself acting head of the tribunal as its most senior judge.

Political consequences

Polish President Karol Nawrocki called what happened a 'forcible seizure' of the constitutional body. Against this backdrop, former prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki announced preparations for a vote of no confidence in Donald Tusk's government. More on how the situation develops — in a Gazeta.Ru article. Earlier, according to the outlet, Dmitry Medvedev commented on the 'Russian trace' against the backdrop of the crisis in Poland.