European Security — 2026-11-02

Poland Constitutional Court Descends Into Turmoil as Chief Judge Suspended and President Returns From Abroad

BLUFPoland's Constitutional Tribunal now operates under rival leaderships, and it is unlikely that Święczkowski regains control or sees his suspension reversed by mid-November, leaving the court paralyzed as a check on government action.

On Friday, Constitutional Tribunal judge Anna Korwin-Piotrowska ordered one-month suspensions of court president Bogdan Święczkowski and deputy Bartłomiej Sochański and said she was taking over the court, while Prosecutor General Waldemar Żurek sought to lift both men's immunity 12. Święczkowski called the move a coup, and the tribunal said its website had been unlawfully taken over; police were deployed and detained three people who entered the grounds 13. President Karol Nawrocki turned his plane back from Senegal and, shortly before 1:00 a.m., entered the building despite resistance from judges, with accounts of the scuffle conflicting 23. Tusk said "there is no other way," and Korwin-Piotrowska convened a judges' assembly for November 3 23. Nawrocki's aide Marcin Przydacz said parties were invited to talks, and PSL and Poland 2050 attended while Tusk did not 4.

Analysis
The Constitutional Tribunal now has two rival leaderships, and neither can act without the other contesting its legal standing, a judgment held with high confidence because Polish and international outlets report the same sequence and only the entrance scuffle is disputed. Święczkowski is unlikely to be physically back in control as tribunal president, or to see his suspension formally reversed or nullified, by November 16. Korwin-Piotrowska's claim rests on a disputed reading of seniority, and her November 3 assembly needs ten judges for a quorum when only seven or eight are in the building, so a failed vote could weaken her position. The October 31 assessment that Święczkowski would hold the presidency through mid-November has been overturned in 48 hours. Still, the suspension may prove a short-lived tactical move, since the quorum gap and Nawrocki's presence could let Święczkowski's camp reassert control through a legal challenge or a negotiated settlement. For decision-makers, a PiS-aligned tribunal that keeps blocking legislation would mean the court-restoration strategy has failed, while the talks Tusk skipped will show whether the coalition holds.

6 sources