Political crisis in Poland. President Nawrocki forcibly entered the Constitutional Tribunal, and Prime Minister Tusk accuses him of intimidating judges

Poland is going through a new episode of political confrontation between President Karol Nawrocki and Prime Minister Donald Tusk, amid a dispute over control of the Constitutional Tribunal. Tensions escalated after the temporary suspension of the court's leadership, appointed during the rule of the Law and Justice (PiS) party, and after the head of state forcibly entered the Tribunal building. In an attempt to manage the crisis, Nawrocki convened consultations with the leaders of political parties on Saturday, but some of the parties in the governing coalition refused to participate. Meanwhile, Donald Tusk reacted harshly, accusing attempts to intimidate judges and warning that the rule of law cannot function according to the "law of the jungle", Agerpres reports.

The conflict is based on an older dispute over the composition of the Constitutional Tribunal and reforms of the judiciary. Between 2015 and 2023, the national-conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party appointed judges close to the party to the court. After taking power in 2023, the coalition led by Donald Tusk tried to undo some of the controversial changes introduced to the judiciary by the previous government.

The situation worsened after an announcement was published on the Constitutional Tribunal's website regarding the temporary suspension of the court's president and deputy, both appointed by PiS. The decision prompted protests in front of the institution, organized by supporters of the party and other right-wing groups.

In this context, President Karol Nawrocki summoned representatives of the main political parties to the Presidential Palace on Saturday.
The first to respond to the invitation was the Minister of Defense, Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, leader of the Polish People's Party (PSL), a Christian-conservative party that is part of Prime Minister Donald Tusk's coalition.

"State security, respect for democracy, social peace and public order are fundamental values", Kosiniak-Kamysz wrote on the X platform before the meeting, specifying that these will be the main topics addressed in the discussion with the president.

Szymon Holownia, leader of the Poland 2050 party, another partner in the governing coalition, also participated in the consultations.

In contrast, the Left party declined the head of state's invitation, and according to Polish media, the Civic Platform, the party of Prime Minister Donald Tusk, did not intend to participate in the discussions. The results of the consultations were not clarified.

However, the political dispute took on a new dimension after President Nawrocki's direct intervention at the Constitutional Tribunal.
Returning to Warsaw on Friday evening from a trip abroad, the head of state forced his way into the courthouse during the night. A video recording captures Nawrocki, a former amateur boxer, using force to enter the premises, notes Agerpres.

The gesture provoked a vehement reaction from Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who criticized the president's behavior in a televised statement on Saturday evening.

"The rule of law differs from the law of the jungle in that it is not force and impudence that determine who is right"Tusk said.

The Polish prime minister insisted that the independence of the judiciary must be respected and that judges cannot be subjected to political pressure or intimidation. According to him, the rule of law requires that magistrates cannot be intimidated by an "aggressive bully" who tries to put pressure on them.

The confrontation between Nawrocki and Tusk highlights the persistence of institutional tensions in Poland, where rival political camps continue to dispute the direction of judicial reforms and the legitimacy of changes made to the Constitutional Tribunal.