Judicial Crisis in Poland: Tusk Government Faces Coup Accusations

DID Press: Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal chief has been removed from his duties by government officials, triggering protests from conservative groups, accusations of a “coup” and clashes outside the institution’s headquarters, further escalating tensions in the Central European country.

According to Polish media reports, Anna Korwin-Piotrowska, a judge at the Constitutional Tribunal, suspended the institution’s president, Bogdan Święczkowski, and his deputy from their duties for one month and assumed control of the tribunal’s administration.

The decision sparked protests in Warsaw, where demonstrators gathered outside the tribunal’s headquarters. Three people were arrested during clashes with police.

The Constitutional Tribunal’s official account on X described the move as an “illegal seizure of power” and a “coup.” The government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk, however, defended the decision, describing it as part of efforts to reform the judicial system and restore the rule of law.

Meanwhile, Poland’s conservative President Karol Nawrocki cut short his official visit to Senegal and returned to the country.

The crisis marks the latest escalation in a deep-running dispute between Tusk’s government and conservative political forces over judicial appointments and the independence of the Constitutional Tribunal. The legitimacy of the tribunal’s administration has now become a new focal point in Poland’s political confrontation.