Constitutional court standoff triggers political crisis in Poland

Poland is facing a severe institutional crisis following the suspension of the leadership of the Constitutional Court on October 30, 2026. Judge Anna Korwin-Piotrowska ordered the one-month suspension of Constitutional Court President Bogdan Swiecicki and Vice President Bartlomiej Sochanski, citing a request from the Minister of Justice to pursue criminal charges. The move triggered immediate protests, police intervention, and arrests at the court premises in Warsaw, with the opposition labeling the events an attempted coup.

President Karol Nawrocki abruptly terminated his trip to Senegal to return to Warsaw, characterizing the situation as an attack on state organs. On October 31, the President attempted to enter the court building under police blockade, accompanied by Supreme Court Chief Zbigniew Kapinski. Prime Minister Donald Tusk defended the actions, stating that police were protecting the institution from illegal interference. Tusk, who opposes the court's composition linked to the previous PiS administration, emphasized that the state must enforce the rule of law.

This crisis stems from a decade-long struggle over judicial control initiated in 2015. President Nawrocki has convened emergency consultations with parliamentary leaders to seek a resolution, while the European Commission has intervened, calling for the seating of elected judges and demanding adherence to legal norms to stabilize the country.