Poland’s top court chief judge suspended as Tusk‑Nawrocki showdown erupts
Prime Minister Donald Tusk and tribunal head Karol Nawrocki clash after chief judge’s suspension sparks police‑secured protests at Warsaw Court.
POLICY WIRE — Warsaw, Poland — A showdown between Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Constitutional Tribunal president Karol Nawrocki intensified on Friday when the tribunal’s chief judge was placed under suspension, prompting a heavy police presence at the Warsaw courthouse.
The standoff traces back to Nawrocki, who enjoys backing from the Law and Justice party, refusing to administer the oath to three judges elected by the newly formed parliament.
Tusk’s administration argues that the tribunal can no longer be regarded as legitimate because several judges appointed during the Law and Justice era remain on the bench.
A court order subsequently removed both the tribunal’s president and its deputy for a month, fueling accusations of a power grab and igniting protests across the capital.
Dozens of demonstrators gathered outside the Constitutional Tribunal on Friday night, chanting against what they described as an unlawful suspension while riot police formed a tense barricade.
Heavily armed officers sealed the building’s entrances, deploying crowd‑control equipment as tensions simmered between protesters and law‑enforcement units.
The episode deepens a constitutional crisis that has unfolded over the past decade, underscoring the ongoing clash over judicial independence and political control in Poland.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
