Poland deploys riot police after court chief’s suspension

Riot police surrounded Poland’s constitutional court on Friday as President Karol Nawrocki canceled a trip to Senegal, following the suspension of Chief Justice Bogdan Swieczkowski. This move was part of a conflict between the centrist government and the nationalist right. The government has been attempting to remove the court’s judges, who were appointed by the former nationalist Law and Justice party (PiS) government.

Dozens of police officers were present at the court entrance as supporters of the now opposition PiS staged a protest against Swieczkowski’s removal. The constitutional court’s X social media account referred to the event as a "coup d’etat," and Swieczkowski was still considered in office. Prime Minister Donald Tusk, a right-wing independent, justified the decision on X, stating that restoring the rule of law was their duty. The suspension was announced by another court judge, Anna Korwin-Piotrowska.