Polish president accuses PM Tusk of court takeover
Polish President Karol Nawrocki accused Prime Minister Donald Tusk of a forced takeover of Poland's top court after its president, Bogdan Swieczkowski, was suspended late Friday by judge Anna Korwin-Piotrowska, who assumed control. The suspension escalated a dispute between Nawrocki, an ally of the previous nationalist government, and Tusk's pro-European coalition over judicial control. Nawrocki cut short a trip to Africa, addressed protesters outside the court, and called for urgent political consultations. The Constitutional Tribunal has been paralyzed by a dispute dating to 2015, when the Law and Justice party appointed judges to seats already filled. Tusk's government, in power since 2023, has pledged to restore rule of law, which the EU said his predecessors subverted.