Poland's Tusk vows Constitutional Tribunal independence as Nawrocki alleges forcible court takeover

In a dramatic move, Nawrocki turned back his plane, which he was heading to Senegal on, late on Friday and headed for the court headquarters in central Warsaw, following Swieczkowski's suspension.Follow us on GoogleRiot police officers stand at the entrance of the Constitutional court as right wing supporters hold the Polish flag and shout slogans during a standoff between the Polish government and the Constitutional Court's top judges on October 31, 2026 in Warsaw, Poland. (photo credit: Omar Marques/Getty Images)NOVEMBER 1, 2026 05:55Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk sought to offer assurances that the country's Constitutional Tribunal will operate in accordance with the law, after President Karol Nawrocki, an ally of the previous hard-right government, accused him of staging a forced takeover of the court.Late on Friday, the Constitutional Tribunal said its longest-serving judge, Anna Korwin-Piotrowska, had suspended Bogdan Swieczkowski, the tribunal's president and an appointee of Tusk's nationalist predecessor, and was now in charge of the court.The move escalated a battle between Nawrocki and Tusk's pro-European government over control of the judiciary."I am certain that the Constitutional Tribunal will function as it should. Also, independently of me and in line with the constitution," Tusk said in a televised speech."The task of the executive branch, and therefore mine, is to ensure its safety and working conditions, and I intend to fulfill my duty."Protesters force open a metal gate leading to the courtyard outside the headquarters of Poland's Constitutional Court after police blocked access to the building in Warsaw, Poland on October 30, 2026. (credit: Wojtek RADWANSKI / AFP via Getty Images)Nawrocki calls off flight mid-airIn a dramatic move, Nawrocki turned back his plane, which he was heading to Senegal on, late on Friday and headed for the court headquarters in central Warsaw, following Swieczkowski's suspension.Riot police have been guarding the court since Friday afternoon, with several hundred protesters gathered to demand Swieczkowski's reinstatement."Tonight, there was a breach of public order in the Republic of Poland and a forcible takeover of a constitutional body," Nawrocki said in a statement read by an aide outside the court early on Saturday.Nawrocki held political consultations throughout Saturday.Tusk, writing on X, said his government was seeking to restore the rule of law, which the European Union had accused his predecessors - the Law and Justice Party - of subverting."This process is difficult, at times even painful, and requires decisive action. There is no other way," he said.Long-running political disputeA long-running political dispute over the Constitutional Tribunal has effectively paralyzed the institution, with the pro-European government and the nationalist president refusing to recognize appointees put forward by the other side.The dispute dates back to 2015, when Law and Justice sought to appoint judges to seats already filled by the previous government.Its nominees gained a majority on the Constitutional Tribunal, while critics at home and abroad said the court no longer met the standards of an independent and impartial tribunal established by law.After Tusk's coalition took office in 2023, it pledged to restore the rule of law and reform the court, but Law and Justice ally Nawrocki has acted to thwart those efforts since his election as president in 2025.Earlier this year, Nawrocki refused to swear in three of six judges nominated by parliament, while Swieczkowski, a former deputy justice minister in the Law and Justice administration, declined to seat judges elected by the current parliamentary majority.Last month, parliament appointed Tusk ally Maciej Berek to the tribunal, which critics said undermined the government's stated goal of restoring checks and balances.Follow us on Google