Poland plunges into crisis over fight for control of constitutional tribunal
Poland is facing a constitutional crisis following the suspension of the Constitutional Tribunal's president and vice-president. The move has led to police intervention and a direct confrontation between the judiciary and the executive branch.
Why it matters
This crisis highlights significant instability in Poland's democratic institutions and the rule of law, which has implications for European political stability.
Shortly after 6 p.m. on Friday (October 30, 2026), Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal announced that the Tribunal’s president, Bogdan Święczkowski and vice-president, Bartłomiej Sochański, had been suspended for a month. The order was signed by judge Anna Korwin-Piotrowska, one of five Sejm(lower house of the Parliament)-elected judges whose oaths President Karol Nawrocki has refused to accept. Police cordoned off the Tribunal building as a mass of protesters tried to force their way through, and Mr.
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