Poland: President Karol Nawrocki summons the parties for urgent consultations following the escalation of the conflict over the Constitutional Court

President of Poland Karol Nawrocki will receive representatives of the governing coalition and the opposition in Warsaw on Saturday for urgent consultations regarding the political-institutional crisis that erupted around the Constitutional Court.

Tensions escalated on Friday after police intervened at the court’s headquarters, and Anna Korwin-Piotrowska, the Court’s longest-serving judge, suspended the institution’s president, Bogdan Swieczkowski, who is considered an ally of the former nationalist government. Korwin-Piotrowska took over as acting head, although Nawrocki refused to validate her in the position.

The head of state cut short his trip to Senegal and went to the court’s headquarters, where, according to footage, he forced his way in after a confrontation with several judges. The presidential camp, however, maintains that they tried to block his access. Police subsequently stopped Swieczkowski from entering the building.

Also, theAmbassador of Poland to Romania, Paweł Soloch, announced his resignation in a message posted on the X platform. The diplomat stated that he no longer saw any possibility of continuing his work in office after what he called an illegal attempt to take over the Constitutional Tribunal.

The conflict reflects the longstanding dispute between the pro-European government led by Donald Tusk and the PiS camp over control of the judiciary. Brussels considers the Court too politically dependent. The crisis also prompted the resignations of Poland’s ambassadors to Romania and China.