Newsletters
Polish President Karol Nawrocki cut short his flight to Senegal and headed back to Poland on Friday after police deployed to the country's Constitutional Tribunal in Warsaw, where an announcement ordered the suspension of its president and vice president.
The tribunal's leadership later challenged the announcement, saying its website had been unlawfully taken over and accusing those behind the move of carrying out a "coup d'etat."
"At such a moment, the president must be in Poland. I am cutting short my flight to Senegal. I am returning," Nawrocki said in a post announcing his decision.
Nawrocki's plane landed in Warsaw after turning back over Spain, Polish media reported, while Paweł Szefernaker, head of the president's office, said Nawrocki would meet Zbigniew Kapinski, first president of Poland's Supreme Court, immediately after returning to the country.
The tribunal's website carried an announcement ordering the suspension of its President Bogdan Swieczkowski and Vice President Bartlomiej Sochanski. The court's leadership later said the website had been unlawfully taken over and insisted the two officials remained in office.
The dispute followed Prosecutor General Waldemar Zurek's submission of five applications seeking the lifting of judicial immunity. Four concerned consent to prosecute Swieczkowski, whom the prosecutor's office described as the acting president of the Constitutional Tribunal, while the fifth concerned Sochanski.
The confrontation unfolded amid a wider dispute over judicial appointments and the tribunal's independence, with the government and opposition offering sharply different interpretations of efforts to change the court's leadership.
Police officers deployed to the tribunal's grounds in Warsaw amid tensions surrounding the dispute. Police said they were carrying out their statutory duties to maintain public safety and denied interfering with the court's work or forcibly removing its security personnel.
The developments prompted accusations from figures aligned with Nawrocki and the right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) opposition, which argued that the government's actions threatened the rule of law.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk defended the government's approach, saying efforts to restore the rule of law were necessary after what he described as years of lawlessness under PiS.
"Restoring the rule of law is our duty," Tusk said. "After years of PiS lawlessness, this is a difficult, sometimes painful process and requires decisive action. There is no other way."
Nawrocki's office presented the president's return as a response to the gravity of the situation. Zbigniew Bogucki, head of the presidential office, said the president was the guarantor of continuity in state power and compliance with the Constitution.
Adam Andruszkiewicz, a deputy head of the office, said Nawrocki "will not allow the rule of law to be destroyed by force and Poles to be deprived of basic democratic rights."
The confrontation marked the latest escalation in a prolonged power struggle between Tusk's pro-European government and the right-wing opposition, which is backed by Nawrocki.
The Constitutional Tribunal is responsible for determining whether legislation complies with Poland's Constitution. Its legitimacy and composition have become major points of contention since the previous PiS government lost power in 2023.
Earlier this year, Nawrocki refused to swear in three of six judges elected by parliament, while Swieczkowski declined to allow judges chosen by the current parliamentary majority to take up their duties. The standoff has effectively paralyzed the court.
In December 2025, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that serious irregularities in the appointment of three tribunal judges and its president undermined the institution's independence and impartiality under EU law.
Tusk's government has pledged to restore the country's legal and constitutional order, while Nawrocki and the opposition have challenged its approach to judicial appointments.
Nawrocki's decision forced him to abandon a planned visit to Senegal, where he was scheduled to attend the opening of the fourth Summer Youth Olympic Games in Dakar and participate in a summit on sports and development.
His itinerary also included talks on Sunday with Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and meetings with African Union representatives. The trip was also intended to seek support from African Union members for Poland's bid to join the Group of 20 major economies.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
1 min read
1 min read
