Polish President Karol Nawrocki accused Prime Minister Donald Tusk of orchestrating a forced takeover of the country’s Constitutional Tribunal late on 30 October 2026, after the tribunal’s president, Bogdan Święczkowski, was suspended. Judge Anna Korwin-Piotrowska announced she was taking charge, triggering a political crisis in Warsaw.
Nawrocki, who cut short a trip to Africa to return to the Polish capital, described the events as “a breach of public order” and “a forcible takeover of a constitutional body.” His statement, read by an aide, highlighted the severity of the standoff between the president and Tusk’s pro-European government.
Riot police were deployed outside the Constitutional Tribunal as protesters gathered, creating a tense atmosphere around the court building. The suspension of Święczkowski by Korwin-Piotrowska is at the heart of the conflict, with the latter claiming leadership of the tribunal amid sharp contestation over legitimacy.
Speaking on 1 November, Prime Minister Donald Tusk defended his government’s intervention, stating, “I am certain that the Constitutional Tribunal will function as it should. Also, independently of me and in line with the constitution.” The standoff reflects deeper divisions in Poland over judicial independence and constitutional order.
European and international media outlets including Reuters, Euronews, Politico, and Marketscreener have independently confirmed the core facts of the dispute: the suspension of Święczkowski, Korwin-Piotrowska’s claim to leadership, Nawrocki’s return to Warsaw, and the public tensions at the tribunal.
The political crisis is the latest episode in Poland’s ongoing rule-of-law struggles, a conflict that intensified after judicial reforms introduced by the previous nationalist Law and Justice government. Nawrocki, aligned with the nationalist faction, and Tusk’s pro-European coalition reject each other’s moves as unconstitutional.
Eyewitness accounts and reporting confirm Nawrocki forcibly entered the Constitutional Tribunal grounds and later called for police to withdraw, while the exact legality of the tribunal leadership shift remains contested. There is no independent verification of specific physical clashes inside the tribunal, and no confirmed legal or police actions resulting from the confrontation as of this report.
The situation remains fluid, with both sides maintaining their positions and the nation watching closely as Warsaw’s top court becomes the focal point of a broader constitutional crisis.