The standoff intensified when Judge Anna Korwin-Piotrowska issued a one-month suspension of Tribunal president Bogdan Święczkowski and his deputy to assume leadership herself. Her actions followed Święczkowski's refusal to seat newly appointed judges, including former cabinet minister Maciej Berek, whose oaths President Nawrocki had declined to administer. Nawrocki quickly cut short an international trip to Senegal, calling the suspension a forcible takeover, while Law and Justice party officials framed the event as an attempted coup. Meanwhile, legal experts and coalition allies have questioned the legitimacy of Korwin-Piotrowska’s authority as well as the appointment of an ex-minister to…
Key points
Prime Minister Donald Tusk faces significant legal and political pushback as his administ…: Prime Minister Donald Tusk faces significant legal and political pushback as his administration attempts to undo eight years of nationalist judicial overhauls.
Legal experts have raised serious doubts regarding Korwin-Piotrowska’s legal authority to…: Legal experts have raised serious doubts regarding Korwin-Piotrowska’s legal authority to unilaterally suspend the sitting leadership of the Constitutional Tribunal.
Placing former government ministers onto the bench has sparked internal criticism within…: Placing former government ministers onto the bench has sparked internal criticism within the governing coalition regarding promises to depoliticize Poland's judiciary.
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Poland’s long-running battle over judicial independence has escalated into a confrontation between prime minister Donald Tusk and president Karol Nawrocki, after the suspension of the Constitutional Tribunal’s leadership triggered protests and a police deployment outside the court in Warsaw.
The latest flashpoint came on Friday, when Judge Anna Korwin-Piotrowska announced the one-month suspension of Tribunal president Bogdan Święczkowski and his deputy, Bartłomiej Sochański, and said she would take charge of the institution. The move followed a dispute over the appointment of new judges, whom Święczkowski had refused to allow to take their seats.
Nawrocki, an ally of the nationalist Law and Justice party (PiS) and a vocal supporter of US President Donald Trump, abandoned a visit to Senegal and returned to Warsaw. He described the suspension of the Tribunal’s leadership as a “forcible takeover of a constitutional institution”. PiS leaders also condemned the move, accusing Tusk’s government of attempting a coup.
Police were deployed outside the court as hundreds of protesters gathered. Officers said their presence followed concerns about possible threats to judges and staff and risks to public order.…
Iranian authorities reported the maritime detonations after accusing the targeted vessels of navigating through an unauthorized corridor in the critical waterway. The incident aligns with broader enforcement measures implemented by Tehran to tightly regulate shipping traffic in the area. By curbing unauthorized transit, the regime aims to project power over the strategic passage while applying strategic leverage against the United States.
The criticism follows the Central Elections Committee's formal confirmation that the inconclusive national vote remains fully valid. Opposition figures contend that questioning the integrity of the ballot damages public trust in vital state institutions solely to force another vote. These tensions highlight deepening domestic political instability as competing factions clash over claims surrounding minority voter turnout.
Parliamentary authorities confirmed that the recent national vote remains valid despite active security investigations into foreign interference. The ruling delivers a significant blow to Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party, which lost its majority and launched unproven claims of fraud after rival factions secured enough seats to potentially build a governing coalition.