Statement by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Ladies and gentlemen, yesterday, we witnessed turbulent events outside the Constitutional Court building. I would really like that we never have to see such scenes in Poland again. But the way to peace cannot be to surrender to lawlessness and violence. A democratic state must be strong and able to enforce justice. For many hours we watch this situation with concern. It is difficult for all of us to understand what the groups of politicians and activists from the PiS and the Confederation, from Braun to Bąkiewicz, are fighting for. The police respond calmly but firmly to all manifestations of aggression. The attack on the court and its judges is another chapter in the process of destroying the rule of law in Poland by PiS and Presidents Duda and Nawrocki. Together with the parliamentary majority, I tried to reform the court. No one had any doubt that the tribunal, in the form imposed by PiS, was not a real court. This was the assessment of international institutions, respected Polish legal authorities and public opinion. We proposed decisions and laws to all political forces and to the two presidents that would allow rebuilding the rule of law together. It was all in vain. Everything was blocked by the president and PiS. So we waited patiently until new judges were elected, until the terms of their predecessors appointed by PiS expired. The Sijm chose the judges, and they took an oath, but the president did not see fit to accept them. The duly elected judges were blocked by President Schweichkowski and could not begin their work. After many weeks of waiting patiently, they decided to take up their duties without waiting any longer for Mr. Schweichkowski to change his position. They were attacked.