Polish president in physical confrontation with judges amid power struggle at constitutional court

Amid a power struggle at Poland's Constitutional Tribunal (TK), President Karol Nawrocki engaged in a physical altercation with judges involved in the attempt to take control of the court. The incident occurred after Nawrocki, who was en route to Senegal for a state visit, had his plane return to Warsaw following the crisis at the court.

President Nawrocki announced plans to hold a series of meetings with political leaders on Saturday afternoon to discuss the crisis. However, it remains unclear to what extent the government, in conflict with the opposition-aligned Nawrocki and supporting the judges seeking control of the court, will participate in those discussions.

Meanwhile, the TK remains surrounded by riot police and anti-government protesters. Videos emerged showing Nawrocki entering the TK building amid a confrontation with judge Anna Korwin-Piotrowska, who is leading the attempt to seize control of the court. Nawrocki can be heard telling the judge, "you are not Constitutional Tribunal judges."

The conflict stems from a years-long crisis surrounding the TK. The current government, led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk, has refused to recognize the court's legitimacy, citing the unlawful appointment of three of its judges under the previous national-conservative Law and Justice (PiS) government. The government has also ignored the court's rulings and refused to nominate new judges to fill vacancies on the court's 15-person bench.

In March, the ruling coalition began filling the vacant seats on the court. However, President Nawrocki, aligned with the PiS party, has refused to swear in five of the eight new judges, including Korwin-Piotrowska, Markiewicz, and Berek. These five judges held separate swearing-in ceremonies in parliament and submitted their oaths to the president's office. However, Chief Justice Bogdan Święczkowski, who previously served in the PiS government, refused to accept the five judges on the court.