Polish President Karol Nawrocki, who was en route to Senegal for a scheduled visit on Friday, reversed his course after learning that police had entered the premises of Poland’s highest court following the suspension of its president, Bogdan Swieczkowski, according to reports from Reuters.
“In such a moment, the president must be in Poland. I am interrupting my journey to Senegal. I am returning,” he expressed on the social media platform X.
The Constitutional Tribunal announced on its official website that Swieczkowski had been suspended on Friday.
The Constitutional Tribunal, which specializes in adjudicating the constitutionality of Polish laws, has been embroiled in controversy regarding the judiciary’s independence for several years. The previous government, led by the conservative Law and Justice party (PiS), faced accusations of politicizing the court by appointing judges loyal to the party.
The current center-coalition government, under Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who assumed power at the end of 2023, has consistently ignored the court’s decisions, questioning its legitimacy, as reported by TVP World.
Poland’s Minister of Justice, Waldemar Żurek, has stated that he has requested the lifting of immunity for both Swieczkowski and the court’s vice-president, Bartłomiej Sochański, to facilitate potential charges against them, notes BBC.
Right-wing opposition politicians from the Law and Justice party (PiS) gathered outside the court’s building in Warsaw to protest this action.
The police confirmed that law enforcement entered the Constitutional Tribunal following incidents outside the institution, including the throwing of dangerous objects at officers.
Earlier this year, Nawrocki, an ally of the former nationalist government of Poland, refused to accept the oaths of three out of six judges nominated by parliament, while Swieczkowski obstructed the assumption of office by judges chosen by the current parliamentary majority.
Premier Donald Tusk stated on X on Friday evening, “Restoring the rule of law is the government’s responsibility.”
