On the night of 31 October, Polish President Karol Nawrocki arrived at the Constitutional Tribunal in Warsaw, where protests and disputes over the institution’s leadership had flared up. Following a scuffle at the entrance, the head of state spoke of a «forcible takeover» of the constitutional body and announced urgent consultations with parliamentary groups.
- Polish President Karol Nawrocki arrived at the Constitutional Tribunal in Warsaw during the night.
- There was a scuffle at the entrance, whilst protests continued around the building.
- Navrotskyy claimed that the tribunal had been «seized by force» and called for urgent consultations.
- The tribunal’s leadership has been suspended for a month, and the prosecution service has filed five applications to waive immunity.
Navrotsky arrived at the tribunal in the middle of the night
The President of Poland arrived at the Constitutional Tribunal building shortly before 1 am. He was accompanied by the first President of the Supreme Court, Zbigniew Kapiński, and representatives of the President’s Office.
A scuffle broke out at the entrance to the building, involving Navrotskyi and the tribunal judges. A video recording of the incident was subsequently posted on social media. Representatives of the president and the other side accused each other of physical altercations.
In a statement released on the morning of 31 October, Nawrocki described the events as a violation of Poland’s constitutional order and a «forcible takeover of a constitutional state body».
He called for the police to be withdrawn from the premises and announced urgent consultations with representatives of the political parties in parliament to stabilise the situation.
Why did the police cordon off the Constitutional Tribunal?
The standoff escalated on the evening of 30 October, when law enforcement officers stepped up security at the building amid the protests.
The police explained that they had received a request from the Attorney General Waldemar Żurek and the judges Anna Korwin-Piotrowska regarding potential threats to the lives and health of the tribunal’s staff.
During the protests, some participants climbed over the institution’s fence and threw objects at the police. The police reported that three people had been arrested.
The removal of the management has sparked a new conflict
Judge Anna Korwin-Piotrowska announced that Bogdan Swienczkowski, the tribunal’s president, and his deputy, Bartłomiej Sokhanski, had been suspended from their duties for one month.
At the same time, Poland’s Prosecutor General, Waldemar Żurek, has filed five applications to have their judicial immunity lifted. Four of these relate to Święckowski, and one to Sokhansky.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk He described the restoration of the rule of law as the government’s duty and stated that this process requires decisive action.
Navrotsky, for his part, stated that he had helped Sokhansky gain entry to the tribunal building, and questioned the legality of the actions of those who had taken control of the institution.
