EU urges Poland's Nawrocki to validate Constitutional Tribunal judges

The European Commission has urged Polish President Karol Nawrocki to validate the appointment of eight new Constitutional Tribunal judges, escalating pressure amid a severe institutional crisis in Warsaw. The call follows Nawrocki's consultations with party leaders from both the centrist government and nationalist opposition. The Commission stated Polish authorities must ensure the Tribunal functions in line with the constitution and EU Court of Justice jurisprudence, noting the Sejm holds constitutional competence over appointments. The crisis intensified after judge Anna Korwin-Piotrowska suspended Tribunal president Bogdan Swieczkowski, prompting police deployment and Nawrocki's emergency return from Senegal to force entry into the building. The Tribunal, long criticized by Brussels as politically dependent during the 2015-2023 nationalist government, remains the focal point of conflict between Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Nawrocki, a PiS ally. Tusk frames the action as restoring rule of law, while PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski accuses him of orchestrating a coup.