Polish president holds crisis talks in court standoff
A dispute over the politicisation of Poland's constitutional court is deepening, with no side appearing to back down.
Key points
- Polish President Karol Nawrocki held crisis talks Saturday after the Constitutional Tribunal's chief judge was suspended Friday.
- Prime Minister Donald Tusk's Civic Coalition boycotted the talks; Tusk accused opposition leaders of wanting to destroy democracy.
- The European Commission urged Nawrocki to accept new judge nominations, while the US ambassador called for calm.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki held crisis talks with political leaders at the presidential palace on Saturday as a dispute over the independence of the country's top constitutional court deepened. Representatives of nationalist, far-right and some governing coalition parties attended, but Prime Minister Donald Tusk's centrist Civic Coalition stayed away. No breakthrough had emerged by Saturday afternoon.
Nawrocki said he called the urgent consultations because of what he described as a threat to Poland's internal security following the sudden suspension on Friday of Constitutional Tribunal chief judge Bogdan Swieczkowski.
Tusk accuses opposition
In a Saturday evening speech, Tusk accused conservative nationalist opposition leaders of wanting to destroy democracy and the rule of law. He said the court's judges were not politically neutral and that Swieczkowski's removal was a painful but necessary step to restore the rule of law after years of erosion under Law and Justice (PiS) rule.
Supporters of PiS gathered outside the court on Saturday, extending protests that have run for weeks in support of PiS-friendly judges. The court's official X account on Friday described the government's move as a coup d'etat.
Let's call things by their name. For years in Poland there exist organisations and politicians who wish to destroy democracy and rule of law.
— Donald Tusk
International calls for calm
The European Commission on Saturday urged Nawrocki to accept the nomination of new judges at the centre of the crisis, according to AFP. US Ambassador to Poland Tom Rose called for calm on all sides, writing on X that a confrontation spiraling into something far worse is the last thing Poland needs.
