Poland's Tusk vows court independence as president alleges takeover
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk vowed the Constitutional Tribunal will operate independently and lawfully after President Karol Nawrocki accused him of orchestrating a forcible takeover of the court. The dispute escalated Friday when the tribunal's longest-serving judge suspended its president, Bogdan Swieczkowski. Nawrocki, an ally of the previous hard-right government, turned back his plane en route to Senegal and headed to the court in Warsaw, where riot police guarded the building and protesters demanded Swieczkowski's reinstatement. Tusk said his government aims to restore rule of law, which the EU had accused his predecessors of subverting. The conflict stems from a 2015 dispute when Law and Justice appointed judges to seats already filled, paralyzing the tribunal. Nawrocki has blocked judicial reforms since his 2025 election, refusing to swear in some judges while Swieczkowski declined to seat others.