Polish President and PM clash over Constitutional Tribunal
Polish President Karol Nawrocki forced his way into the Constitutional Tribunal building with bodyguards, marking an unprecedented institutional clash with Prime Minister Donald Tusk over judicial appointments. Tusk accused the conservative PiS party of destroying the rule of law, while seeking to appoint new judges following an EU court ruling that the tribunal lacks independence due to prior PiS nominations. Five Tusk-appointed judges have been blocked from working, and tribunal head Bogdan Swieczkowski was suspended Friday. Police barred Swieczkowski from entering the court as hundreds of protesters surrounded the building. The conflict reflects Poland's political divide ahead of the 2027 elections, with Nawrocki's sovereignist right challenging Tusk's pro-European government.