Polish Constitutional Crisis Escalates With Tribunal Power Struggle

President Nawrocki Denounces Constitutional Crisis

Polish President Karol Nawrocki on Saturday (local time) accused the government of violating the country’s constitutional order following an escalation of the political confrontation over the Constitutional Tribunal, calling for the restoration of legal order and convening urgent consultations with representatives of parliamentary forces. In a post on X, the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland quoted Nawrocki as saying that a violation of the constitutional order had taken place overnight, alleging the forcible takeover of a constitutional state organ.

“This night, a violation of the constitutional order of the Republic of Poland occurred, along with the forcible takeover of a constitutional state organ,” Nawrocki said. He further said that he had held consultations with the First President of the Supreme Court, Zbigniew Kapiński, who also did not recognise the actions taken by individuals allegedly usurping power in the Constitutional Tribunal as legal. “I have held consultations with the First President of the Supreme Court, Zbigniew Kapiński, who also does not recognize as legal the actions taken by individuals usurping power in the Constitutional Tribunal,” he said.

Calls for Order and Parliamentary Intervention

Calling for an immediate restoration of constitutional order, Nawrocki demanded that enforcement forces deployed by the government leave the Tribunal premises. “I call for the restoration of legal order and the departure from the Tribunal premises by the enforcement forces dispatched to the site by the government,” he said. The Polish President also stated that he had facilitated the entry of Bartłomiej Sochański, the legally serving Vice-President of the Constitutional Tribunal, into the institution. “To the Constitutional Tribunal, I have enabled the entry of the legally serving Vice-President of the Constitutional Tribunal, Judge Bartłomiej Sochański,” he added.

Amid concerns over Poland’s internal security and the escalating political confrontation, Nawrocki announced that he was convening urgent consultations with representatives of parliamentary forces to address the situation. “In connection with the threat to the internal security of the Republic of Poland, I am convening urgent consultations today with the participation of representatives of parliamentary forces in order to achieve stabilization of the political situation and restoration of the constitutional order,” he said. He also expressed gratitude to those present at the Constitutional Tribunal for defending the institution. “I thank all those who are at the Constitutional Tribunal, standing in defense of the Constitution of the Republic of Poland,” Nawrocki said.

Deepening Power Struggle in Warsaw

The latest developments come amid a deepening power struggle between Prime Minister Donald Tusk and President Nawrocki, which has triggered a severe constitutional and political crisis in Poland. The confrontation escalated on Friday night when heavily armed police units cordoned off the headquarters of the Constitutional Tribunal in Warsaw. Although law enforcement personnel surrounded the premises in substantial numbers, they did not physically enter the building.

Responding to ANI’s query on developments regarding the ongoing confrontation, Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sikorski stated, “The outgoing president was preventing the duly elected majority from working—from passing judgments, interpreting laws, or even adopting their own budget. Therefore, action had to be taken to enable the Tribunal to function once again.” The deployment of police was requested by Judge Anna Korwin-Piotrowska, who pointed to a potential risk to the safety of judges and administrative personnel. The crisis intensified rapidly after Korwin-Piotrowska issued a one-month suspension against Constitutional Tribunal President Bogdan Święczkowski and his deputy, Bartłomiej Sochański, thereby temporarily assuming control of the institution.

Institutional Conflict and Legitimacy Issues

According to bulletins issued by Poland’s official news agency PAP, the suspensions stemmed from accusations that the two senior figures had improperly discharged their official duties and blocked legally appointed magistrates, including Korwin-Piotrowska, from taking part in the Tribunal’s proceedings. The official profiles of the suspended figures subsequently vanished from the court’s online portal. In response, the Constitutional Tribunal issued a statement via social media asserting that its website had suffered an “illegal takeover”. It argued that Korwin-Piotrowska lacked the authority to speak for the court and cautioned that those involved were “committing the crime of coup d’état”.

Tensions surrounding the institution have built steadily since early 2026, sparked when President Nawrocki declined to administer oaths to three out of six magistrates selected by Parliament. The broader dispute originates from fundamental disagreements regarding the Tribunal’s membership. The administration headed by Prime Minister Tusk refuses to acknowledge the validity of rulings issued by judges appointed during the preceding Law and Justice (PiS) administration. Conversely, President Nawrocki and Święczkowski have declined to recognise magistrates chosen by the Sejm in 2026. Judge Korwin-Piotrowska remains central to this friction, as President Nawrocki previously rejected her oath of office while Święczkowski blocked her participation in hearings. This ongoing political jockeying between the governing Civic Platform (PO) and the former PiS administration has fuelled years of controversy surrounding the court’s legitimacy.

Defending his administration’s position, Prime Minister Tusk insisted that reviving the rule of law remains paramount following years of friction under the previous PiS leadership. “Restoring the rule of law is our duty. After years of PiS-led lawlessness, this is a difficult process, sometimes painful, and it requires decisive action. There is no other way,” Tusk said on X.

The rapidly deteriorating situation forced President Nawrocki to cut short an official mission to Senegal and journey back to Poland. “At such a moment, the President must be in Poland. I’m interrupting my flight to Senegal. I’m returning,” Nawrocki said on X. This latest confrontation marks a dramatic escalation in Poland’s protracted institutional deadlock, with rival factions maintaining starkly conflicting viewpoints concerning the government’s intervention and the legal standing of the Tribunal’s leadership. (ANI)

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