Constitutional Court Crisis Escalates in Warsaw as Police Secure Building

A long-standing political battle over Poland's constitutional tribunal escalated dramatically on Friday evening in Warsaw. Police officers cordoned off the grounds surrounding the high court after a judge alerted authorities to potential security risks for staff and magistrates. The unrest intensified when a crowd, accompanied by the suspended court president Bogdan Święczkowski, attempted to force entry into the sealed premises by cutting through an entrance gate with an angle grinder.

The acute escalation prompted Polish President Karol Nawrocki to abruptly cut short an official visit to Senegal. Nawrocki, who is closely aligned with the right-wing conservative opposition party Law and Justice (PiS), confirmed his immediate return to the capital via social media, stating that the head of state must be present in Poland during such a critical moment. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Donald Tusk emphasized that restoring the rule of law remains an absolute obligation for his administration, acknowledging it as a challenging and demanding process.

The underlying dispute traces back to the 2015-2023 tenure of the PiS government, which appointed judges closely tied to the party. The European Court of Justice previously ruled that the tribunal could not be regarded as independent and impartial due to serious flaws in the appointment process of its judges and former leadership. Following the 2023 parliamentary election, Prime Minister Tusk's center-left coalition took power with the stated goal of reversing the previous administration's controversial judicial overhauls.

Tensions grew further as President Nawrocki repeatedly obstructed the government's reform efforts. Over recent months, the president refused to swear in five newly nominated constitutional judges. When these jurists took their oaths before Parliament instead, the PiS-appointed court leadership denied them entry to the building. Among those blocked was senior judge Anna Korwin-Piotrowska, who subsequently asserted that the former court president had rendered the tribunal dysfunctional by barring the newly appointed members.

Exercising her role as the longest-serving judge, Korwin-Piotrowska scheduled a full session of all constitutional judges for November 3. Earlier on Friday, a notice appeared on the tribunal's official website stating that court president Bogdan Święczkowski and his deputy were suspended for one month, with Korwin-Piotrowska stepping in to lead the court during the interim. However, a contradictory post published shortly afterward on social media claimed the website had been compromised by hackers, deepening the institutional confusion.

Following the failed attempt to enter the building on Friday night, Święczkowski accused the deployed police officers of violating the constitution and the law, demanding that they halt what he termed illegal actions. He announced plans to return alongside supporting judges to demand access. Figures from the PiS and the Konfederacja party condemned the government's moves as a coup d'état, while PiS leader Jarosław Kaczyński warned that the unfolding events risked pushing Poland toward a police state.