A deep judicial and political crisis erupted in Warsaw on Friday evening, October 30, 2026, after a senior judge unilaterally suspended the President and Vice President of Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal, prompting street protests, police blockades, and accusations of a “coup d’état.”
The unprecedented move saw Judge Anna Korwin-Piotrowska announce the suspension of Tribunal President Bogdan Swieczkowski and Vice President Bartłomiej Sochański around 6:00 PM local time. Declaring herself acting head as the court’s longest-serving member, Korwin-Piotrowska claimed the intervention was required to restore the rule of law. The court’s official website went offline shortly after publishing the notice.
President Cuts Short Trip; Diplomatic Fallout Ensues
The sudden judicial upheaval forced Polish President Karol Nawrocki to immediately turn around his flight to Senegal mid-air. Writing on X, Nawrocki stated: “At a moment like this, the President must be in Poland. I am cutting short my flight to Senegal. I am returning.”
By early Saturday morning, President Nawrocki—accompanied by Supreme Court First President Zbigniew Kapiński—entered the barricaded Constitutional Tribunal headquarters in Warsaw.
The developments triggered immediate diplomatic fallout:
- Ambassador Resignation: Poland’s Ambassador to China, Jakub Kumoch, tendered his immediate resignation, citing an inability to serve under the current domestic developments.
- Foreign Minister Reaction: Attending the G20 Summit in the United States, Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski sharply acknowledged the departure on X, writing: “I acknowledge the unprofessional conclusion of your mission. You no longer represent the Republic.”
Political Battle Over the Judiciary
The tribunal has long been a flashpoint between Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s pro-European coalition government and the main opposition national-conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party, which held power from 2015 to 2023.
Tusk’s administration has sought to dismantle PiS-era judicial appointments to satisfy European Union rule-of-law benchmarks. Defending the enforcement actions, Prime Minister Tusk posted on X:
“Restoring the rule of law is our obligation. After years of lawlessness under PiS, this is a difficult process, sometimes painful, and it requires decisive action. There is no other way.”
Conversely, opposition PiS figures condemned the action as an illegal power grab. Former Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro termed the event a “blatant, criminal attack on the constitutional order,” urging public resistance. Riot police barricaded the court building on Friday night as crowds gathered outside chanting anti-government slogans.
