Poland plunges into constitutional crisis: Prime Minister orders police takeover of Supreme Court, President cuts short foreign visit to return home

On the evening of October 30, 2026, Poland was plunged into a severe political crisis. Prime Minister Donald Tusk issued an order for police forces to take action against the Constitutional Court in the capital, sealing off access to the building. The deployment of law enforcement to intervene in the nation’s highest judicial institution triggered widespread upheaval across the country’s political landscape.

The Minister of Justice, acting under Tusk’s authority, issued directives to assume control of the Constitutional Court, and the court’s existing security personnel were removed from duty. Subsequently, Tusk posted on the social media platform X, emphasizing that decisive action was necessary to restore the rule of law in Poland. He stated that, after years of “lawlessness” during the tenure of the Law and Justice Party (PiS), the process—though complex and painful—was unavoidable.

As police surrounded the Constitutional Court building, clashes erupted between demonstrators outside and officers on duty. At the time, President Karol Nawrocki was en route to Senegal on an official visit. Upon learning of the unfolding events at home, and given the gravity of the situation, he ordered his presidential aircraft to make an emergency turn and return to Warsaw.

The core of this crisis lies in a prolonged struggle over judicial power between Tusk’s government and the conservative opposition party, Law and Justice. As the final arbiter on the constitutionality of laws, the Constitutional Court has become a focal point in this contest.

Tusk’s administration contends that senior figures within the Constitutional Court—including current President Bogdan Święcicki and his deputy—were appointed through procedures deemed illegal and are political adversaries. These appointees, it claims, have obstructed the swearing-in of new judges for years, leading to institutional paralysis. Citing the alleged unlawful obstruction of newly appointed judge Kowin-Piotrowska from assuming her duties, the government suspended the functions of the previous leadership and transferred management of the court to Kowin-Piotrowska.

However, the opposition and the former court leadership have firmly rejected the legitimacy of this move, refusing to cede power or recognize the status of certain newly elected judges. This has resulted in two competing leadership structures within the Constitutional Court, with conflicting statements appearing on the court’s official website.

Tusk’s hardline approach has drawn fierce criticism from the opposition. Jarosław Kaczyński, leader of the Law and Justice Party, denounced the government’s actions as a “coup” from outside the court building and called on supporters to continue demonstrations. The Polish Constitutional Court and the Association of Judges of Poland also issued statements condemning the move as a “state coup,” asserting that “Poland is no longer a European state governed by the rule of law tonight.”

The executive branch’s refusal to recognize the legitimacy of the nation’s highest court and its use of police force to override judicial authority marks a critical breach of constitutional norms, placing immense strain on Poland’s democratic stability.

With President Nawrocki now back in Warsaw, the next phase of the crisis is imminent. His previous refusal to administer oaths to new judges, combined with the fact that tensions had been escalating for weeks—evidenced by conservative protesters already blocking access to the court—has entrenched positions on both sides.

Poland now risks operating under two mutually unrecognized leaderships of the Constitutional Court. New judges plan to convene a full assembly of judges on November 3 in an effort to resume operations. However, whether the original leadership will recognize the validity of this gathering, which judges are entitled to participate, and whether decisions made by the new leadership will be acknowledged by state institutions remain central points of contention. The protracted judicial conflict is pushing Poland toward a deep institutional impasse.

Original: toutiao.com/article/1880519823683594/

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