Poland rocked by Constitutional showdown
Poland’s constitutional crisis deepened on Saturday as the European Commission urged President Karol Nawrocki to recognise new judges appointed by Prime Minister Donald Tusk. The standoff comes ahead of next year’s parliamentary election, with polls suggesting a close race between Tusk’s coalition and the nationalist right. Camille Corcoran reports.
Poland’s constitutional crisis deepened on Saturday as a standoff intensified between Prime Minister Donald Tusk and President Karol Nawrocki over control of the judiciary. According to the Jerusalem Post, the Constitutional Tribunal announced that its longest-serving judge, Anna Korwin-Piotrowska, suspended the tribunal's president, Bogdan Swieczkowski, and has taken charge of the court.
Following this suspension, President Nawrocki reportedly turned his plane around while en route to Senegal to head to the court headquarters in Warsaw. The Jerusalem Post reports that riot police have been guarding the court as several hundred protesters gathered to demand Swieczkowski's reinstatement.
The European Commission has urged President Nawrocki to recognize new judges appointed by the Sejm, with a spokesperson telling the Kyiv Independent that the appointment of eight new members lies within the parliament's constitutional power. Le Monde English reports the Commission urged the President to approve the judges nominated in line with the constitution and EU law.
The Kyiv Independent notes that the European Court of Human Rights issued interim measures obliging Polish authorities to refrain from hindering the duties of judges appointed by the Sejm.
Prime Minister Tusk has sought to offer assurances that the Constitutional Tribunal will function independently and in accordance with the law, stating his duty is to ensure its safety and working conditions, according to the Jerusalem Post. The Times of Israel reports that Tusk stated "painful" measures are sometimes necessary in the process of restoring judicial independence and rolling back reforms from the previous government.
The Kyiv Independent reports that Tusk's government is working to bring the legal system back to EU standards following the previous Law and Justice Party administration's placement of the judiciary under political control.
Brief written by urgent.news from France 24, Kyiv Independent, Jerusalem Post, Le Monde English, The Times of Israel — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
