Poland's president returns as court crisis escalates

Polish President Karol Nawrocki has returned to Poland after a far-right ally was suspended as head of the country's top court, intensifying a conflict with Prime Minister Donald Tusk's government over judicial control. The Constitutional Tribunal recently suspended Anna Korwin-Piotrowska, the tribunal's longest-serving judge and an appointee of Tusk's far-right predecessor, now leading the institution.

Protesters gathered outside the tribunal, while right-wing politicians accused Tusk's government of orchestrating a coup against the court.

Nawrocki cut short his flight to Senegal, stating, "A long-running political dispute over the Constitutional Tribunal has effectively paralysed the institution." The pro-European government and nationalist President refuse to acknowledge each other's appointees. Tusk, in a statement on X, emphasized, "This process is difficult, at times even painful, and requires decisive action."

The dispute escalated from 2015 when Law and Justice Party appointed judges, gaining a majority but facing accusations of subverting the rule of law from critics. Nawrocki, who became president in 2025, has obstructed efforts to reform the court, refusing to swear in certain judges nominated by parliament. Law and Justice ally Swieczkowski also declined to seat elected judges by the current parliamentary majority, exacerbating tensions.