Police detain 3 protesters during overnight rally as Polish president backs suspended judge

Anti-government protesters gathered overnight near a major court in Poland to protest the suspension of the tribunal’s president, an action they attribute to the pro-European government. Police intervened, detaining three protesters who threw objects at officers and attempted to breach the security fence surrounding the court.

Polish President Karol Nawrocki, who opposes the pro-European administration, cut short his flight to Senegal upon learning of the situation and returned to Warsaw, where he assisted the suspended tribunal president in entering the building. Nawrocki subsequently called for an urgent parliamentary meeting on stabilizing the political climate.

The protests at the Constitutional Tribunal are expected to exacerbate tensions between Poland’s pro-European government and its opponents, primarily the nationalist-conservative Law and Justice party, or PiS. The court has been a central point of contention between the two factions, with critics on both sides alleging political influence over crucial judicial institutions. Poland and the European Union have accused PiS of exerting undue control over key judicial bodies, leading to EU fines.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s pro-European government assumed office in 2023, vowing to restore judicial independence. However, the administration has faced resistance from two successive PiS-affiliated presidents, including Nawrocki, who has precluded lawfully elected judges from assuming their roles. On Friday, the tribunal announced the suspension of its president, Bogdan Święczkowski.

Protesters, including PiS leader Jarosław Kaczyński and far-right politicians, demonstrated outside the courthouse, accusing Święczkowski of violating laws and jeopardizing the tribunal’s operations. The government contends that Święczkowski repeatedly infringes upon the law and endangers the tribunal’s functionality. Tusk emphasized the necessity of restoring the rule of law, acknowledging that the process would be challenging and potentially painful, but deemed decisive action unavoidable.