PM-President face-off in Poland: Top court chief suspended, court cries 'coup d'etat'
On the night of October 30, Poland's Constitutional Tribunal building was surrounded by police after the court announced the suspension of its president Bogdan Święczkowski and his deputy. Demonstrators gathered outside the building, with Prime Minister Donald Tusk asserting that restoring the rule of law required immediate action. Święczkowski's deputy, a member of the opposition, labeled the situation a "coup."
Polish President Karol Nawrocki, who was in Senegal, returned to Poland to address the crisis. The conflict between Tusk's government and the opposition Law and Justice party, which dominated the government until 2023, has been ongoing for months. The dispute arose when Nawrocki, a supporter of Law and Justice, refused to appoint three new judges approved by the new parliament.
Tusk and his administration refuse to acknowledge the tribunal's legitimacy due to the presence of judges appointed by Law and Justice.
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- Poland deploys riot police after court chief’s suspension punchng.com
- Poland’s constitutional court chief suspended amid escalating judicial standoff between Prime Minister Donald Tusk and the opposition meduza.io
- Police deployed during stand-off over control of Poland's top court bbc.co.uk
- Police secure Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal as protests erupt over court chief’s suspension winnipegfreepress.com
