Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has stated that he has no intention of compromising in the confrontation with President Karol Nawrocki and the opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party over the situation surrounding the Constitutional Tribunal. The head of government made the statement on the evening of Saturday, October 31, in an address to the nation following a sharp escalation of the political crisis.
“In such matters there can be no compromise… I want to make this perfectly clear: lawfully elected members of the court have been attacked, and the police on the ground protected the court from the attackers,” Tusk said. He stressed that the path to calm cannot lie through concessions to “lawlessness and violence,” and that the Constitutional Tribunal must operate independently and in accordance with the Constitution.
The crisis intensified after the evening of October 30, when Judge Anna Korwin-Piotrowska (as the longest-serving judge) announced the temporary suspension of Tribunal President Bogdan Święczkowski and his deputy Bartłomiej Sochański — both appointed under the previous PiS government. Korwin-Piotrowska assumed temporary leadership of the body, citing a “state of extreme constitutional necessity.” Tusk’s government and Justice Minister Waldemar Żurek supported these actions, accusing the Tribunal’s leadership of obstructing the work of new judges elected by the Sejm.
The events triggered protests outside the Tribunal building in Warsaw, where police forces were deployed. President Karol Nawrocki interrupted his official visit to Senegal, returned to the country, and arrived at the Tribunal during the night. He accused the government of a “forced takeover” of the constitutional body and convened urgent consultations with parliamentary forces. The opposition, including PiS leader Jarosław Kaczyński, described the events as an attempted coup d’état.
In his address, Tusk placed responsibility for the destruction of the rule of law on PiS, Nawrocki, and his predecessor Andrzej Duda. He recalled that the ruling majority had repeatedly proposed compromise solutions to restore the independence of the judicial system, but these had been blocked. The prime minister also mentioned that opponents were using the support of a “Russian army of bots” and pro-Russian forces.
The conflict over the Constitutional Tribunal has been ongoing since 2015 — dating back to the judicial system reforms under PiS. After Tusk’s coalition came to power in 2023, the government pledged to restore the rule of law and the independence of the courts, but has faced resistance from presidents and the Tribunal’s leadership. Nawrocki had previously refused to administer the oath to some of the judges elected by the current Sejm. So far, neither side has shown readiness for concessions.
