Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has vowed to see through a contested overhaul of the country’s constitutional court, declaring that certain matters leave no room for compromise.
Television Address and Political Tensions
During a prime-time television address on Saturday night, Tusk remained defiant despite overnight demonstrations that required riot police to guard the court building. As reported by World News | The Guardian, the prime minister stated that the shake-up is essential to revive a tribunal that has been immobilized by years of political conflict.
The court has been paralyzed for over a decade and served as the central battleground for rule-of-law disputes between the rightwing Law and Justice (PiS) party and the European Union during the party’s eight-year governance. Since taking office again in 2023, the centre-right leader has attempted to reverse those judicial modifications, though his plans have faced roadblocks from opposition-aligned presidents wielding extensive veto powers. President Karol Nawrocki refused to administer the oath to five parliamentary-approved judges earlier this year.
Tensions escalated again on Friday when government-backed judges tried to take procedural control of the tribunal by suspending the chief judge and deputy appointed by PiS, triggering street protests. Defending the move, Tusk asserted that the court structured by PiS was never a legitimate tribunal, pointing to negative rulings from European courts. He likened opposition anger to a thief shouting about violence after being caught stealing a handbag.
Tusk warned that politicians and organizations attempting to dismantle democracy and the rule of law in Poland often find backing among pro-Russian factions worldwide. He pointed out that former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev joined the opposition in criticizing the changes by accusing Warsaw of staging a constitutional coup and harassing conservatives.
Reactions and Legal Debate
As reported by World News | The Guardian, Tusk also criticized President Nawrocki for participating in Friday night’s protests and forcing his way into the court building to intervene. Tusk stated that no politician, including the president, has the right to enter a court to give orders or intimidate judges in a democratic nation. He added that the government has a duty to guarantee security and proper conditions for the court to function, and he plans to fulfill that responsibility.
The European Commission called on Nawrocki on Saturday to swear in the new parliamentary nominees so the tribunal can operate in accordance with the constitution and EU law. This confrontation establishes the political positions ahead of next year’s parliamentary election, with opinion polls indicating a tight race between Tusk’s broad coalition and the nationalist right.
Meanwhile, legal experts remain split on whether the government’s procedural maneuver at the court is legal. The Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights stated on Saturday that the legal foundation for the temporary suspension is questionable and cautioned that it will not help restore the court.
Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski acknowledged that the scenes outside the court lacked elegance, but maintained that the alternative would mean accepting an unconstitutional shift of Poland into a presidential republic. While Nawrocki conducted cross-party political discussions on Saturday without reaching a breakthrough, senior presidential aide Zbigniew Bogucki replied to Tusk’s address by labeling the prime minister a pathological liar who is setting the country on fire.
