Tusk defends overhaul of Poland’s constitutional court despite protests
Poland's prime minister, Donald Tusk, has vowed to push through a contested overhaul of the country's constitutional court, declaring that 'in certain matters, there can be no compromise' despite overnight protests.
In a prime-time television address on Saturday night, Tusk was defiant despite overnight protests that saw riot police drafted to protect the court's building. The court has been paralyzed for more than a decade, sitting at the core of rule of law clashes between the rightwing Law and Justice (PiS) party and the EU during the party's eight-year rule.
Since returning to office in 2023, the centre-right Tusk has sought to unwind judicial changes made by PiS, but his agenda has been frustrated by opposition-aligned presidents with extensive veto powers. Earlier this year, president Karol Nawrocki refused to swear in five judges approved by parliament.
Court crisis escalates
The crisis flared again on Friday when government-backed judges attempted to seize procedural control of the tribunal, suspending the PiS-appointed chief judge and deputy and prompting street protests. Defending the action, Tusk said 'there was never any doubt that the court in the form imposed by PiS was not a genuine court,' citing adverse rulings from European tribunals.
Lets call things for what they are: for years, there have been organisations and politicians in Poland who seek to destroy democracy and the rule of law.
Political tensions rise
Tusk compared the opposition outrage to 'a thief snatching an elderly woman's handbag, running off, and when he is caught, he screams that he is subjected to violence.' He highlighted that Russia's former president Dmitry Medvedev had joined the outcry, accusing Warsaw of 'a constitutional coup' and 'hounding the conservatives'.
Tusk criticized Nawrocki for joining protests Friday night and forcing entry into the court's building. 'In a democratic state, no politician can enter a court to issue orders or intimidate judges – not even the president,' Tusk said. 'We Poles have succeeded too well in building a strong state to surrender now.'
The foreign minister, Radosław Sikorski, conceded that the events outside the court were 'not elegant,' but insisted: 'The alternative was to concede an unconstitutional transformation of Poland into a presidential republic.' Nawrocki held cross-party political talks on Saturday with no apparent breakthrough.
The confrontation sets battle lines for next year's parliamentary election, with polls pointing to a close race between Tusk's broad coalition and the nationalist right. Experts remain divided over whether the government's procedural gambit at the court is lawful.
Poland's Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights said the legal basis for the temporary suspension was 'questionable,' warning it would 'not contribute' to restoring the court. Nawrocki's senior aide, Zbigniew Bogucki, responded to Tusk's address, calling the prime minister 'a pathological liar, who is setting Poland ablaze.'
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