Polish PM confirms he wants his “right-hand man” to be made constitutional court judge
The move has generated controversy given the government's pledge to "depoliticise" the court.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has announced his intention to appoint his "right-hand man", Maciej Berek, as a judge on Poland's Constitutional Court. This move has sparked controversy, as Tusk's ruling coalition has repeatedly pledged to de-politicize the Constitutional Tribunal (TK) after the previous conservative Law and Justice (PiS) government appointed its former politicians to the court.
Tusk defended the decision, describing Berek as an "apolitical and nonpartisan" figure who would help "fix the Constitutional Tribunal" after it was rendered illegitimate by the PiS government. Berek, who has a doctorate in law and has previously worked as an assistant professor in constitutional law at the University of Warsaw, is a longstanding associate of Tusk and has been a minister in the current coalition government.
However, Berek has been a low-key figure who rarely speaks in public and is not a member of parliament or any political party. The move comes as Poland's rule-of-law crisis continues, with many Poles believing the situation has worsened since the change of government in December 2023. Despite previous attempts to ban politicians from serving on the TK, the court rejected two government bills seeking to overhaul the tribunal itself, deeming them unconstitutional.
Written by urgent.news from Notes from Poland's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
