Poland’s prime minister blamed Law and Justice leaders for the unrest at the Constitutional Tribunal, a day after police entered the court and its president was suspended.
Tamrah News Desk | November 1, 2026
Prime Minister Donald Tusk used a Saturday evening speech on the Poland constitutional crisis to accuse conservative nationalist opposition leaders of wanting to
“destroy democracy and rule of law”
according to AFP. The address came a day after police intervened at the Constitutional Tribunal in Warsaw. Supporters of the opposition Law and Justice party (PiS) had gathered there to protest the suspension of the court’s president, Bogdan Swieczkowski. Our earlier Europe politics coverage tracks how the dispute reached this point.
What Tusk Said in His Address to the Nation
AFP reported that Tusk said such organizations and politicians have existed in Poland for years. He called Friday’s unrest outside the court horrifying and said he hoped Poland would never see similar scenes again. The Jerusalem Post reported that he told viewers:
“I am certain that the Constitutional Tribunal will function as it should.”
According to AFP, Tusk also wrote on X that restoring the rule of law after years of lawlessness under PiS needs decisive action and that there is no alternative. Spanish news site Democrata reported that he blamed PiS and presidents Andrzej Duda and Karol Nawrocki for the damage to the rule of law. The same outlet said he warned of Russian bot support for his opponents.
How the Constitutional Tribunal Standoff Began
Euronews reported that seven judges elected by parliament entered the Constitutional Tribunal on Friday evening with officers from the State Protection Service. Judge Anna Korwin-Piotrowska then announced she was taking over the court’s leadership and suspending Swieczkowski. The Kyiv Post reported that the order also covered deputy head Bartłomiej Sochański and lasted one month.
Euronews said tribunal spokesperson Weronika Ścibor claimed security guards were told to leave and that the timing took advantage of absent staff. The tribunal’s leadership disputes the legality of the move. Reuters reported that police entered the premises, according to Around Prague, which also said the government describes its actions as restoring the rule of law.
AFP reported that demonstrators outside the court tried to push through security barricades and that police arrested three people. Notes from Poland said police stopped Swieczkowski from entering after supporters cut through the fence with a power tool.
Karol Nawrocki Calls Emergency Talks
AFP said President Karol Nawrocki, a right wing independent, cut short a trip to Senegal and summoned party leaders over a threat to internal security. Euronews reported that he went to the tribunal with First President of the Supreme Court Zbigniew Kapiński, and footage showed scuffles with judges as he tried to enter. His chief of staff, Paweł Szefernaker, read a statement describing a
“forcible takeover of a constitutional organ of the state.”
AFP reported that nationalist, far right and some ruling coalition parties attended the talks at the presidential palace. Tusk’s Civic Coalition stayed away. The Left said it was not invited and would not have attended. No breakthrough had emerged by Saturday afternoon.
Government and Law and Justice Trade Accusations
Justice Minister Waldemar Żurek told Polish media he was alarmed by the president’s conduct and hoped prosecutors would act, Euronews reported. Notes from Poland said Żurek is also seeking to lift Swieczkowski’s immunity from prosecution.
Euronews said PiS leader Jarosław Kaczyński, former prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki and former tribunal president Julia Przyłębska joined the protest. Kaczyński urged supporters to keep demonstrating and warned that Poland risked becoming a police state.
International Reaction and Background
AFP reported that the European Commission urged Nawrocki to approve the judges nominated by parliament so the court can work in line with the constitution and EU law. The US ambassador to Poland, Tom Rose, asked all sides to avoid steps that could provoke violence, according to the same agency.
Tusk’s government has spent weeks trying to remove judges appointed under the PiS government that ruled from 2015 to 2023, AFP said. It added that the court often favoured Polish law over EU law, and Brussels accused it of being too close to the nationalist leadership of the time. Notes from Poland reported that Nawrocki has refused to swear in five of eight new judges. Readers can follow the wider Poland politics background in our archive.
What Happens Next in the Poland Constitutional Crisis?
The tribunal’s current leadership rejects the suspension, and Euronews said Żurek confirmed that talks with Sochański ended without compromise. Nawrocki’s consultations had produced no agreement by Saturday afternoon, according to AFP. Kyiv Post reported that the suspension order runs for one month, so the next steps depend on how the court, the president and the government respond.
Conclusion
The Poland constitutional crisis now centres on who controls the Constitutional Tribunal. Donald Tusk blames Law and Justice for attacking the rule of law, while Karol Nawrocki and the opposition call the suspension of Bogdan Swieczkowski a forcible takeover. Our European politics explainers will keep following the story.
