Tusk defends tribunal suspension as Polish protests continue

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk defended his government's suspension of the Constitutional Tribunal's president on Saturday, citing a need to restore judicial independence, as hundreds of protesters gathered for a second night against the move. The pro-European government says the suspension is necessary to fix the court, while opposition critics call it a "coup d'etat." President Karol Nawrocki, who opposes the government, returned early from a trip to Senegal and helped the suspended court president enter the building on Friday night. Police detained three protesters after objects were thrown. The dispute deepens political polarization a year before parliamentary elections, intensifying the standoff between Tusk's coalition and the national-conservative Law and Justice party (PiS). PiS, which ruled from 2015 to 2023, faced EU fines over judicial reforms. Tusk, who took power in 2023, has faced vetoes from PiS-aligned presidents, including Nawrocki, in his efforts to reform the tribunal.