- BIST10010,760-3.63%
- USD49.86+0.15%
- EUR55.82+0.52%
- GOLD3,898.90-3.29%
- INTEREST36.00%-1.00
- BITCOIN77,284+0.11%
- October 31, 20267°
- BIST10010,760-3.63%
- USD49.86+0.15%
- EUR55.82+0.52%
- GOLD3,898.90-3.29%
- INTEREST36.00%-1.00
- BITCOIN77,284+0.11%
- October 31, 20267°
Poland's court crisis: police cordon, a broken gate and Nawrocki's midnight showdown
A fight over control of Poland's Constitutional Tribunal escalated overnight as police cordoned off the court, its suspended president tried to have a gate cut open and President Karol Nawrocki turned back his plane bound for Senegal to confront the judges, declaring a violation of the constitutional order.
A battle over who runs Poland's Constitutional Tribunal spiraled overnight into one of the country's deepest political crises in years. Police cordoned off the court in Warsaw, its suspended president tried to have a locked gate cut open, and President Karol Nawrocki cut short a trip to Senegal to confront the judges inside the building in the middle of the night.
On Saturday, Nawrocki said "there was a violation of the constitutional order of the Republic of Poland and a forcible takeover of a constitutional state body," and summoned representatives of the parliamentary parties for urgent consultations.
How it started
The standoff began Friday when Judge Anna Korwin-Piotrowska, elected by parliament in 2026 but never sworn in by Nawrocki, suspended Tribunal President Bogdan Święczkowski and Vice President Bartłomiej Sochański for one month, took temporary charge of the court and called in police, citing a threat to the safety of judges and staff.
The court's previous leadership rejected the move, said its website had been unlawfully taken over and accused those involved of staging a "coup d'état."
A locksmith at the gate
Police sealed off the building and its grounds, and the government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk kept sending reinforcements through the night. Police said officers did not enter the building itself.
Święczkowski, barred from the court, tried to get a locksmith to cut through the tribunal's iron gate so he could enter the police-guarded building.
Opposition supporters gathered outside then broke down the gate the locksmith had been working on and pushed into the court's garden.
Police said they entered the grounds after some protesters breached the fence and threw dangerous objects at officers, and that three people were detained.
Crowds kept gathering around the tribunal throughout the night. Jarosław Kaczyński, leader of the main opposition Law and Justice party (PiS), joined the protest outside the court.
The president turns his plane around
"At a moment like this, the President must be in Poland," Nawrocki said as he turned back his plane bound for Senegal. Back in Warsaw, he held an emergency meeting at the Presidential Palace and met with Zbigniew Kapiński, the First President of the Supreme Court.
Around 1 a.m., Nawrocki arrived at the tribunal, where protesters greeted him with applause.
After a scuffle at the door, he entered the building. "We are judges of the Constitutional Tribunal," Korwin-Piotrowska told him. "You are not judges of the Constitutional Tribunal," Nawrocki replied, according to video recorded inside.
Nawrocki stayed until shortly before 5 a.m., demanded that police leave the court grounds and helped Sochański, whom he recognizes as the lawful vice president, get inside.
Tusk: 'There is no other way'
Tusk defended the move. "Restoring the rule of law is our obligation," he said, acknowledging the process was "sometimes painful" and adding: "There is no other way."
Justice Minister and Prosecutor General Waldemar Żurek criticized Nawrocki's conduct inside the tribunal and asked prosecutors to examine the incident. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said the duly elected majority had been blocked from working and that action was needed to let the court function again.
Opposition cries 'coup'
The opposition calls the takeover a coup attempt. Kaczyński said Poland was becoming a police state, and former Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro called for "resistance that will be loud, firm, solidary and fearless."
The crisis pits Tusk's pro-European government, which refuses to recognize the tribunal's rulings because of judges appointed under PiS, against Nawrocki, a PiS ally who refuses to recognize the judges elected by parliament in 2026. All eyes are now on the outcome of Nawrocki's emergency talks with party leaders.
Have a story, event or announcement of your own?Send us your news on WhatsApp
Spotted an error in this story?Report it on WhatsApp
Share on all social platforms
Sponsored Ads
Featured Listings
Loading featured properties...
Stay Updated with Ally Daily
Subscribe to be informed about special news, developments and announcements. We will keep you informed.
By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy
