Inside Poland’s Midnight Showdown: Court Chief Suspended, Riot Police Deployed, President Cuts Short Trip

Poland's escalating political confrontation over judicial independence has triggered protests, police deployment and a dramatic intervention by President Karol Nawrocki, who cut short his visit to Senegal and returned to Warsaw.

The latest flashpoint involves the Constitutional Tribunal, where a dispute over judicial appointments has intensified tensions between Prime Minister Donald Tusk's pro-European government and the opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party.

The confrontation has also reopened questions over the independence of Poland's judiciary and the influence of political parties on its highest legal institutions. The situation escalated after demonstrators breached the Constitutional Tribunal's perimeter fence, while others allegedly threw objects at police personnel.

Riot police were deployed to contain the confrontation, and three people were detained, according to police. Tensions had already risen after Justice Minister Waldemar Zurek initiated steps to lift the immunity of Tribunal President Swieczkowski and Vice-President Bartlomiej Sochanski.

The move could pave the way for criminal proceedings against the two officials. PiS leaders condemned the action, accusing Tusk's government of attacking Poland's constitutional order. President Nawrocki, who has the backing of PiS, also interrupted his Senegal visit and returned to Warsaw.

He was travelling to Dakar for the Summer Youth Olympic Games when he announced his decision on X. “At a moment like this, the President must be in Poland. I am cutting short my flight to Senegal. I am returning,” he wrote.

His chief of staff later confirmed that Nawrocki had entered the Constitutional Tribunal. The confrontation is rooted in a prolonged disagreement over the composition and functioning of Poland's Constitutional Tribunal. The PiS government, which held power between 2015 and 2023, introduced sweeping judicial changes that critics said weakened institutional independence and increased political influence over the courts.

The reforms drew criticism from both domestic opponents and European Union institutions. Brussels argued that the changes undermined judicial independence and imposed financial penalties on Poland. The European Court of Human Rights and the Court of Justice of the European Union subsequently questioned the legitimacy of three judges appointed under PiS, ruling that their positions had already been filled by the previous parliament.

European courts also raised concerns about the tribunal's independence and impartiality. After returning to power in 2023, Tusk promised to reverse the judicial changes introduced by the previous government and restore the rule of law.

However, his efforts have faced resistance from two presidents aligned with PiS: former president Andrzej Duda and incumbent Nawrocki. Both have used their veto powers to block proposed legislative changes. Nawrocki has also refused to administer the oath to five judges elected by parliament since March, citing concerns over the selection process.

Anna Korwin-Piotrowska, one of the five, has meanwhile been placed in temporary charge of the tribunal. Tusk's government has also sought to remove judges appointed during the PiS administration. Tribunal President Swieczkowski has been accused by the Prime Minister of preventing judges selected by the current parliamentary majority from assuming their positions.

On Friday, Tusk defended his government's approach in a post on X.