Polish riot police deployed after court chief suspended

Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal, its top court for reviewing laws, became the center of a major power struggle. Police entered its premises after incidents outside, including dangerous objects thrown at officers. The tribunal said its president, Bogdan Swieczkowski, had been suspended.

The dispute concerns who may serve as judges and who controls the court. President Karol Nawrocki, allied with the former PiS government, refused to swear in three of six judges nominated by parliament. Swieczkowski, a former PiS deputy justice minister, blocked judges chosen by the current majority from taking their seats.

The confrontation prompted Nawrocki to cut short his flight to Senegal, saying he must be in Poland. Prime Minister Donald Tusk called restoring the rule of law the government’s duty. Justice Minister Waldemar Zurek sought to lift immunities for Swieczkowski and his deputy. PiS leaders called the actions a coup, showing the tribunal remains effectively paralysed.

Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal is the country’s constitutional court. It checks whether laws and state actions comply with the constitution, helping protect the legal order. The president leads the tribunal’s judicial work and represents the institution publicly.

Here, that role became central during a dispute over who may serve as judges. President Bogdan Swieczkowski, a former PiS deputy justice minister, blocked judges elected by the current parliamentary majority from taking office. President Karol Nawrocki also refused to swear in three of six judges nominated by Parliament.

Now the tribunal says Swieczkowski has been suspended, while police entered its premises after incidents outside. The conflict has effectively paralysed the court, and Justice Minister Waldemar Zurek seeks immunity removal for Swieczkowski and his deputy. That makes constitutional review harder and leaves Poland’s rule-of-law dispute unresolved.

The dispute centers on six judges, making their appointments a key test of who controls Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal. That matters because the tribunal has already been effectively paralyzed by the wider political conflict.

Earlier this year, President Karol Nawrocki refused to swear in three of six judges nominated by parliament. The current parliamentary majority says its elected judges should take their seats. PiS politicians say Tusk’s government is instead carrying out a coup against the tribunal.

The immediate mechanism is institutional blockage: Nawrocki withheld three oaths, and Swieczkowski barred majority-elected judges from working. That leaves three unable to formally begin, while others cannot assume their duties. Until the dispute is resolved, the tribunal’s work remains vulnerable to further political and legal challenges.

The disagreement comes from competing claims about who had the authority to appoint Constitutional Tribunal judges. The dispute matters because judges cannot work if the court’s leadership rejects their appointment or refuses to admit them.

Earlier this year, President Karol Nawrocki refused to swear in three of six judges nominated by parliament. Meanwhile, Tribunal President Bogdan Swieczkowski declined to let judges elected by the current parliamentary majority take office. Swieczkowski had served as a deputy justice minister under the former Law and Justice government, or PiS, while Nawrocki is its ally. These actions created rival views about which appointments were valid.

The result is a long-running dispute that has effectively paralysed the tribunal. The government says blocking judges violates their duties and is pursuing rule-of-law reforms; PiS calls the effort a coup. The conflict now includes Swieczkowski’s suspension and a request to lift his immunity, making agreement over judicial appointments central to restoring the court’s work.

When a constitutional court cannot work, a country loses its strongest referee for basic rules. Court decisions may stall, judges may be blocked, and disputes can shift from law into political confrontation. Its absence can make constitutional limits easier to contest.

Poland shows this danger. President Karol Nawrocki refused to swear in three of six judges nominated by parliament. Tribunal president Bogdan Swieczkowski blocked judges chosen by the current majority, helping paralyse the court.

That paralysis now has practical consequences: police entered the tribunal after dangerous objects were thrown, and Swieczkowski was suspended. The government says restoring the rule of law requires decisive action, while PiS politicians call it a coup. Without a trusted court, legal disputes may deepen institutional conflict and weaken public confidence.

Poland’s president, parliament, government, and courts now share competing roles in a judicial appointment dispute. Parliament nominates or elects judges, while the president can swear them in. The Constitutional Tribunal’s leadership decides whether judges elected by parliament can take up their duties. The government is pressing to restore the system and hold officials accountable.

A clear example shows how this works. Earlier this year, President Karol Nawrocki refused to swear in three of six judges nominated by parliament. Meanwhile, Tribunal President Bogdan Swieczkowski declined to let judges elected by the current parliamentary majority assume their duties. This shows how formal recognition by the president and practical acceptance by the court can determine who actually serves.

The government says restoring the rule of law is its duty. Justice Minister Waldemar Zurek requested lifting Swieczkowski’s and his deputy’s immunities, alleging they prevented judges from working. Police entered tribunal premises after incidents, and the court said Swieczkowski was suspended. The institution remains effectively paralysed.

The rule of law means everyone, including presidents and judges, must follow known legal rules. Constitutions set who may appoint officials, how courts operate, and how power is limited. This prevents leaders from changing institutions whenever politics becomes difficult.

Poland’s dispute shows why this matters. President Karol Nawrocki refused to swear in three of six judges nominated by parliament. Tribunal president Bogdan Swieczkowski was a deputy justice minister under PiS. He declined to let judges chosen by today’s parliamentary majority take office. When each side recognizes only its preferred appointments, the court cannot work credibly or settle constitutional disputes.

The conflict has now included police entering tribunal premises after dangerous objects were thrown at police. The tribunal said Swieczkowski was suspended. Justice Minister Waldemar Zurek requested lifting immunities for him and his deputy. Prime Minister Donald Tusk defended decisive action. Restoring trust requires lawful appointments, court independence, and procedures accepted across political changes.