Poland's Constitutional Tribunal in crisis amid political standoff

The crisis in Poland's Constitutional Tribunal began years ago when the then-ruling Law and Justice party (PiS) reformed the judiciary, bringing the Tribunal under political influence. After the change of government in 2023, Donald Tusk's administration attempted to restore judicial independence but faced resistance from President Karol Nawrocki and the PiS camp. The conflict escalated in March 2026 when the Sejm elected six new judges—two swore allegiance to the president, four to the Sejm. Acting Tribunal head Bogdan Święczkowski barred the 'Sejm-appointed' judges from working, challenging their legitimacy. The ECHR ruled in favor of the new judges, but tensions intensified. Currently: police have cordoned off the Tribunal building in Warsaw over security threats; the Tribunal’s website published an order suspending Święczkowski and Vice-President Sochański, which the Tribunal called an 'illegal seizure of the website' and labeled the events a 'coup'; Prosecutor Waldemar Zurek filed five motions to lift immunity from Tribunal leadership, submitting 224 pages and 50 case volumes; President Nawrocki cut short a state visit to Senegal, stating the president must be in the country during such times; Jarosław Kaczyński accused the government of 'seizing the Tribunal' and warned of Poland becoming a police state; Donald Tusk responded that 'restoring the rule of law is a duty, a difficult and sometimes painful process.'