“This is a coup d’état in Poland,” Bogdan Święczkowski said in an interview with Kanal Zero. The president of the Constitutional Tribunal was temporarily removed from his duties, but he refuses to accept the decision and claims that the actions against him constitute an illegal takeover of the institution.
The decision on the one-month suspension was announced on October 30. It was signed by Judge Anna Korwin-Piotrowska, who said that, as the judge with the longest tenure, she would temporarily take over the leadership of the tribunal. Deputy President Bartłomiej Sochański was also removed from office.
Government defended its actions
Minister of Justice and Prosecutor General Waldemar Żurek submitted five motions to lift immunity. Four of them concern Święczkowski, and one concerns Sochański. According to Żurek, the procedure is related to actions that, in the prosecution’s view, blocked the tribunal’s work and prevented newly elected judges from taking up their duties.
“Restoring the rule of law is our duty,” Prime Minister Donald Tusk said. He accused the previous government of the Law and Justice party of politicizing the judicial institutions and said that the government would continue its efforts to restore the constitutional order.
The dispute intensified after the election of Maciej Beręk as a judge of the Constitutional Tribunal. Beręk was a member of Tusk’s government until mid-2026 and was described by the prime minister as his close political associate. After President Karol Nawrocki did not attend the swearing-in ceremony, Beręk took the oath in the Sejm. He was later prevented from normally carrying out his judicial duties in the tribunal’s building.
Protests and police protection
After the announcement of the suspension, protesters gathered outside the tribunal building in Warsaw, including representatives and supporters of the opposition. Police said that three people had been detained after jumping over the fence and entering the institution’s grounds. Law enforcement officials said they had been deployed because of reports of a security risk to judges and employees, as well as public-order violations.
President Nawrocki cut short his trip to Senegal and returned to Poland. He backed Święczkowski and described the events as an attempt to forcibly seize control of a constitutional body. The government rejects this assessment and insists that its aim is to restore the tribunal’s functioning.
Session scheduled for November 3
Anna Korwin-Piotrowska scheduled a general meeting of the judges for November 3. The agenda includes the tribunal’s 2027 budget and a procedure for determining panels to hear disciplinary proceedings against Święczkowski and Sochański.
It is unclear whether the session will have the required quorum. Święczkowski and the judges supporting him do not recognize his temporary suspension, while the government and the newly elected judges view the decision as a step toward restoring the institution’s operation.
Sources: apnews.com, polskieradio.pl, youtube.com