Particle.news
Get it on Google Play
Download on the App Store
15 ARTICLES
·
9h ago

Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal Split as Judges, President Fight for Control

The standoff could tip Poland’s politics toward pro‑European or pro‑nationalist forces.

Demonstrators speak to police officers during a protest in front of the Polish Constitutional Court in Warsaw, Poland, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Beata Zawrzel)
Demonstrators pray during a protest in front of the Polish Constitutional Court in Warsaw, Poland, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Beata Zawrzel)
Police stand guard as people protest outside the premises of Poland's Constitutional Tribunal after the tribunal said on its website that the tribunal's president Bogdan Swieczkowski, who was a deputy justice minister under the Law and Justice (PiS) government, had been suspended on Friday, in Warsaw, Poland, October 31, 2026. Agencja Wyborcza.pl/via REUTERS
Suspended President of the Polish Constitutional Tribunal Bogdan Swieczkowski, left, speak to police officers during a protest in front of the Constitutional Court in Warsaw, Poland, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Beata Zawrzel)

Overview

  • Last Friday the tribunal’s longest‑serving judge, Anna Korwin‑Piotrowska, posted a notice suspending President Bogdan Święczkowski and said she had taken charge, prompting President Karol Nawrocki to cut short a trip and return to Warsaw.
  • On Tuesday eight judges backed by Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s parliamentary majority held a general assembly to resume court business, approve a draft budget and open disciplinary proceedings against Święczkowski and his deputy.
  • The assembly’s authority is disputed because rivals disagree which judges are legally valid and whether a quorum is met; the written rule calls for 10 of 15 judges but the pro‑government bloc argued a lower effective quorum after suspensions.
  • Police have guarded the court since last Friday and detained several protesters after clashes at the tribunal gates, while crowds supporting both sides have gathered outside the building.
  • The European Commission and the U.S. ambassador are closely watching events, which opponents say could deepen polarization and influence next year’s parliamentary election and Poland’s ties with the EU.