Poland's president accuses PM Tusk of 'forcible takeover' of top court
Poland's President Karol Nawrocki has accused Prime Minister Donald Tusk's government of a "forcible takeover" of the country's top court after the suspension of Constitutional Tribunal President Bogdan Swieczkowski, a holdover from the previous nationalist administration. Nawrocki called the move a breach of constitutional order and demanded Swieczkowski's reinstatement. The tribunal said its longest-serving judge, Anna Korwin-Piotrowska, assumed leadership following Friday's suspension. Nawrocki cut short a trip to Africa to address the situation, arriving at the court in Warsaw where riot police were deployed amid protests by several hundred demonstrators. Tusk defended the action as necessary to restore the rule of law, citing EU criticism of judicial independence under the prior government. The dispute stems from a 2015 conflict when the Law and Justice party appointed judges to already-filled positions, securing a tribunal majority. The European Court of Justice ruled in December 2025 that the tribunal violated EU law. Nawrocki, elected in 2025, has obstructed Tusk's reform efforts, including refusing to swear in judges and opposing recent appointments.