Polish president holds crisis talks in court standoff
Polish President Karol Nawrocki convened urgent crisis talks with political leaders as tensions escalate over the suspension of Constitutional Tribunal chief judge Bogdan Swieczkowski.
The dispute over the politicisation of Poland's constitutional court intensified as President Nawrocki held crisis talks with nationalist, far-right, and some governing coalition parties at the presidential palace on Saturday. Prime Minister Tusk's centrist Civic Coalition declined to participate in the consultations.
Political standoff
Nawrocki stated he convened the urgent consultations due to the threat to Poland's internal security presented by Swieczkowski's suspension on Friday. No breakthrough had emerged by Saturday afternoon, as the political crisis deepened with no apparent concessions from either side.
Constitutional crisis
The Constitutional Tribunal, Poland's top court for constitutional matters, has been at the center of a years-long political saga. Swieczkowski, appointed by the PiS during its 2015-2023 government, was accused of blocking parliament from electing new judges.
Tusk argued the court's judges weren't politically neutral and that Swieczkowski's removal was painful but necessary to restore the rule of law after years of erosion under PiS rule. The court's official X account described the government's move as a coup d'etat.
Followers of the PiS gathered outside the court on Saturday, extending weeks-long protests in support of PiS-friendly judges. The European Commission urged Nawrocki to accept nominations of new judges, while US Ambassador Tom Rose called for calm, warning against confrontations that could escalate.
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