The crisis over the management of Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal developed into one of the country’s deepest political crises in recent years during a tense night stretching from the evening of October 30 to the morning of October 31. After Tribunal President Bogdan Święczkowski and his deputy, Bartłomiej Sochański, were suspended, police surrounded the court, the suspended president attempted to have the iron gate cut so he could enter the building, and President Karol Nawrocki cut short his visit to Senegal and arrived at the court around midnight.
In a statement on Saturday, Nawrocki said that “the constitutional order of the Republic of Poland has been violated and a constitutional state organ has been forcibly seized,” and called representatives of the political forces in Parliament to urgent consultations.
How did the crisis begin?
The crisis began with a ruling by judge Anna Korwin-Piotrowska, whom Parliament elected in 2026 but whose oath President Nawrocki did not accept. Korwin-Piotrowska suspended Święczkowski and Sochański for one month, temporarily assumed control of the court and called the police, citing threats to the judges’ safety.
The court’s previous management said it did not recognize the ruling and that its website had been illegally taken over, describing the events as a “coup.”
He tried to have the gate cut by a locksmith
Police cordoned off the court building and its surroundings. As the Tusk government continued sending additional police units to the area throughout the night, police said they had not entered the building.
Suspended Tribunal President Święczkowski tried to have the court’s iron gate cut by a locksmith so he could enter the building, which was under police blockade.
Demonstrators supporting the opposition who had gathered outside the court then broke down the gate the locksmith had tried to cut and entered the building’s grounds.
Police said they entered the court grounds after some demonstrators climbed over the fences and threw dangerous objects at officers, and detained three people.
Demonstrators continued gathering around the court throughout the night. Jarosław Kaczyński, leader of the main opposition Law and Justice Party (PiS), also joined the protest outside the court.
Nawrocki turned his plane around
President Nawrocki, who had set out on an official visit to Senegal, turned his plane back to Warsaw, saying, “At a moment like this, the president should be in Poland.” After arriving in Warsaw during the night, Nawrocki held an emergency meeting at the Presidential Palace and met with Zbigniew Kapiński, First President of the Supreme Court.
Nawrocki then arrived at the Constitutional Tribunal at around 1 a.m. Demonstrators waiting outside the court greeted the president with applause.
After a scuffle at the gate, Nawrocki entered the building. Korwin-Piotrowska, who had declared herself the court’s acting president, told him, “We are judges of the Constitutional Tribunal.” According to footage recorded inside, Nawrocki replied, “You are not judges of the Constitutional Tribunal.”
Nawrocki remained at the court until 5 a.m., asked police to withdraw from the court grounds and enabled Sochański, whom he recognized as the lawful deputy president, to enter the building.
Tusk: There is no other way
Prime Minister Donald Tusk stood by the move. Tusk said, “It is our duty to restore the rule of law. Even though this is a painful process, there is no other way.”
Justice Minister and Prosecutor General Waldemar Żurek criticized Nawrocki’s conduct inside the court and called for the incident to be investigated by prosecutors. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said the elected majority was being prevented from working and that action was needed to restore the court’s functioning.
Opposition: An attempted coup
The opposition describes the events as an “attempted coup.” PiS leader Kaczyński said Poland had been turned into a police state, while former Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro called for “loud, determined and fearless resistance.”
The crisis stems from the deep disagreement between the Tusk government, which does not recognize the court’s rulings because of judges appointed during the PiS period, and President Nawrocki, who does not recognize the judges elected by Parliament in 2026. Attention is now focused on Nawrocki’s urgent consultations with the political parties.
