Politico: Tusk-Nawrocki Conflict Escalates as German Outlet Calls Polish Right ‘Nationalists’
An attempt to remove the leadership of the Constitutional Tribunal, which is linked to the nationalist camp, has prompted accusations of a coup and clashes in Warsaw, Politico reported. The outlet stressed that this marks an escalation of the conflict between Prime Minister Donald Tusk and President Karol Nawrocki.
“On Friday evening, chaos broke out at Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal,” the outlet began its report. Politico recalled that Tribunal judge Anna Korwin-Piotrowska issued a decision suspending the Tribunal’s president, Bogdan Święczkowski, and his deputy for one month, while announcing that she was taking over leadership of the court. Święczkowski challenged her authority, calling the move a “coup d’état.” He also stressed that his deputy had been denied entry to the building.
“The confrontation marks an escalation of a dispute in which Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government is seeking to reverse changes to the judiciary introduced by the previous, nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) government,” Politico wrote. It noted that during its eight years in power, PiS filled the Tribunal with its own appointees, including Święczkowski and his deputy, making the institution a central point in Poland’s rule-of-law dispute with Brussels.
The outlet recalled that the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled on the Tribunal in December 2025, finding that the Polish court does not meet European standards of judicial independence.
“But attempts to change the court’s composition have met resistance. Nawrocki refused to swear in five judges chosen by Tusk’s parliamentary majority. They took their oath in parliament, but Święczkowski prevented them from hearing cases,” Politico noted.
The outlet also quoted Justice Minister and Prosecutor General Waldemar Żurek, who blamed Święczkowski for the turmoil, accusing him of turning the Tribunal into a “private fiefdom” and of preventing the newly elected judges from carrying out their duties.
“Now the judges have spoken,” Żurek told Politico. The justice minister said he had filed five motions to lift the immunity of Święczkowski and his deputy, attaching 50 volumes of case files. He defended Korwin-Piotrowska’s decision, stressing that she made it as a lawfully appointed judge, and said the government had nothing to do with it. (PAP)
