The President of Poland, Karol Nawrocki, canceled his trip to Africa mid-flight and returned to Warsaw. This action came after the police established a blockade around the Constitutional Tribunal, which was created following the suspension of Bogdan Święczkowski, the head of the tribunal. This suspension has created deep divisions between the centrist government and the nationalist right.
Protests and Reactions
Dozens of police forces were stationed at the entrance of the tribunal to prevent supporters of the right-wing "Law and Justice" (PiS) party from joining the protests. These supporters chanted slogans against the government of Donald Tusk in protest of Święczkowski's suspension, and some attempted to breach security barriers. The police announced that three protesters were arrested while trying to enter the tribunal complex.
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A protester named Tomasz Zalewski outside the tribunal said, "Tusk has trampled on our fundamental rights." This comes as Tusk's government has been trying for several weeks to remove judges from the tribunal who were appointed by the previous PiS government. The tribunal has regularly made decisions in favor of Poland's domestic facts and has faced criticism from the European Union.
Legal and Political Challenges
Tusk, a strong pro-European figure, has promised to ease tensions with Brussels after winning the 2023 elections. However, Nawrocki, who is an independent and right-leaning figure, has refused to endorse Tusk's nominees for the tribunal. The leader of the PiS party and former Prime Minister, Jarosław Kaczyński, joined the protesters and called on Nawrocki to take action.
Upon returning to the capital, Nawrocki met with Święczkowski and Zbigniew Kapiński, who is recognized as the first president of the tribunal, at the Presidential Palace. The President then entered the tribunal building. Local television images show him passing through the crowd upon arrival.
Święczkowski's suspension was announced by another judge named Anna Korwin-Piotrowska, who stated that this action was necessary to restore the rule of law. The Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Waldemar Żurek, told reporters that he had requested the suspension of the legal immunity of Święczkowski and his deputy, Barlomiej Suchański.
Żurek said, "This tribunal has become private property; we need to restore its proper functioning." Tusk also defended this action on his social media account, calling it a duty to restore the rule of law. He added, "After years of lawlessness under the PiS regime, this process is difficult and sometimes painful and requires decisive action. There is no other way."
While the official tribunal website was unavailable on Friday, its account on X announced that Święczkowski remains in his position. It also added that Korwin-Piotrowska cannot serve as acting president because she has not been sworn in by the President.
Amid this confusion, Korwin-Piotrowska stated, "In modern Europe, a democratic government cannot function without a constitutional tribunal that acts as a guarantor of citizens' rights and freedoms."
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