Polish president cuts Senegal trip short as tribunal chief is suspended

Riot police have been deployed to the Constitutional Tribunal in Warsaw, sparking claims of a "coup d'etat" from the opposition. The Mirror reported ^[1] that the intervention saw dozens of officers guarding the entrance as supporters of the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party gathered to protest.

The Daily Mail noted ^[2] that the standoff caused President Karol Nawrocki to interrupt his official visit to Senegal while in transit, directing his aircraft back to the Polish capital. The confrontation marks a dramatic escalation in the struggle between Prime Minister Donald Tusk's centrist government and the right-wing opposition over control of the judiciary.

Tusk justified the action as a necessary step to "depoliticise the judiciary". "After years of Law and Justice's lawlessness, this is a difficult, sometimes painful process that requires decisive action," the Mirror quoted ^[1] Tusk as saying. He added: "There is no other way."

At the centre of the dispute is Bogdan Święczkowski, the president of the Constitutional Tribunal, who was suspended by fellow judge Anna Korwin-Piotrowska. Justice Minister Waldemar Żurek stated he had requested the lifting of legal immunity for Święczkowski and his deputy, Bartłomiej Sochański, to face criminal charges. Żurek claimed the court had become "private property" and needed to be restored to proper functioning, according to the Daily Mail ^[2].

The Tribunal's official X account rejected the suspension, insisting Święczkowski remained in office. "All persons participating in these actions are committing the crime of a coup d'etat," the court declared, as reported by the Mirror ^[1].

Former PiS prime minister Jarosław Kaczynski addressed the crowd, calling for Nawrocki to intervene. Meanwhile, US Ambassador to Poland Tom Rose described the events as "very serious". He warned that thousands gathering outside the tribunal made an "already dangerous situation more combustible", though he affirmed America's support for Poland's democratic future, the Mirror noted ^[1].

The political fallout extended to diplomatic circles, with Jakub Kumoch, Poland's ambassador to China, resigning. He stated it was no longer possible for him to continue serving in light of the events. Radosław Sikorski, Poland's foreign minister, dismissed the resignation as "unprofessional", stating Kumoch no longer represented the Republic.

Police confirmed three people were arrested after allegedly jumping the fence and entering the Tribunal grounds. Warsaw Police stated their actions were limited to the external area to ensure public safety and did not constitute interference in the Tribunal's activities. However, critics, including law professor Marcin Matczak, argued there was no legal basis for the suspension, warning that armed police removing a court president by decree risked damaging the rule of law, the BBC reported via the Daily Mail ^[2].