Prime Minister Donald Tusk defended his government’s contested restructuring of Poland’s constitutional court during a prime-time television address, asserting the reforms were essential to restore the tribunal’s functionality. Tusk stated that the court had been rendered dysfunctional for over a decade due to political disputes, particularly during the eight-year tenure of the Law and Justice party.
Tensions escalated on Friday when government-backed judges attempted to seize procedural control of the tribunal, suspending the chief judge and deputy judge appointed during the previous administration. The action prompted street protests and overnight civil disturbances that required riot police deployment to protect the court building. Tusk characterized opposition objections as fundamentally dishonest, using a provocative analogy comparing critics to criminals resisting arrest.
The prime minister also linked opposition to the reforms with external threats, noting that Russia’s former president had publicly criticized the changes as a constitutional coup. He further criticized President Karol Nawrocki for entering the court building during Friday’s protests, stating that no politician should intimidate judges in a democratic state. Nawrocki has previously blocked parliamentary-approved judicial appointments, while the European Commission urged him to approve the new judges to enable the court to function constitutionally.
Experts remained divided on the legality of the government’s procedural actions. Poland’s Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights questioned the legal basis for the temporary suspension, cautioning it would not restore court functionality. Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski acknowledged the events were “not elegant” but defended the government’s approach as necessary to prevent unconstitutional institutional transformation. Nawrocki’s office responded dismissively to Tusk’s remarks, setting the stage for intensified conflict before next year’s parliamentary election, which polling suggests will be closely contested.
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