Donald Tusk Seeks Meeting With President to End Judicial Crisis
Prime Minister Donald Tusk requested a meeting with President Karol Nawrocki to resolve a constitutional crisis over the leadership of Poland's Constitutional Tribunal.
A constitutional crisis has escalated in Poland following a power struggle over the leadership and composition of the Constitutional Tribunal. On October 30, 2026, Donald Tusk's parliament appointed eight new judges, and Judge Anna Korwin-Piotrowska suspended Tribunal President Bogdan Święczkowski and Vice-President Bartłomiej Sochański for one month. This action, supported by police, was rejected as unlawful by the existing leadership.
President Karol Nawrocki characterized the event as a forcible takeover and refused to administer oaths to five Sejm-elected judges. Nawrocki has accused Tusk of using the court to seize power through illegal actions, while Tusk maintains the reforms are necessary to restore the rule of law after years of interference by the Law and Justice party. Prosecutor General Waldemar Żurek has since sought criminal proceedings against the suspended leadership.
The International Commission of Jurists condemned both the President's refusal to administer oaths and the suspension of the Tribunal's leadership without due process. The European Commission is also monitoring the situation to ensure the Tribunal operates according to EU case law. Tusk has now requested a one-to-one meeting with Nawrocki to defuse the tension, warning that internal instability could be exploited by Moscow.
