Security forces, protests and seizure of power: The conflict between Tusk and Nawrocki brought Poland to a deadlock at the end of October 2026, when Poland plunged into a severe political crisis surrounding the Constitutional Tribunal, which escalated into a direct confrontation between Prime Minister Donald Tusk and President Karol Nawrocki. The conflict escalated on October 30, when Judge Anna Corwin-Piotrowska, supporting Tusk, announced the dismissal of the Tribunal's chairman, Bogdan Święczkowski, and his deputy. She explained her decision by stating that the court leadership blocked the work of judges elected by parliament and took over the management of the body. The catalyst was also the Prosecutor General's attempts to strip Święczkowski of immunity. Tusk said the government is acting strictly in accordance with the law, purging political opponents from the judiciary and restoring the rule of law. President Karol Nawrocki, representing the opposition (PiS), completely rejected the leadership change, called the incident "a forcible seizure of a state body" and urgently returned from a trip abroad. Protests began at the Tribunal building, police cordoned off the area, and Nawrocki himself arrived at the court in person, demanded the withdrawal of security forces and initiated urgent consultations with parliament. The roots of the crisis go back to the spring confrontation, when Nawrocki refused to swear in the new judges of the Sejm, and Święczkowski did not recognize their powers, which paralyzed the Tribunal's work. As a result, the actions of both parties have brought Poland to the brink of a deep institutional deadlock, with the government and the president accusing each other of a constitutional coup. Subscribe to Alpha News VK Zen website TikTok Facebook Instagram YouTube X

Security forces, protests and seizure of power: The conflict between Tusk and Nawrocki brought Poland to a deadlock at the end of October 2026, when Poland plunged into a severe political crisis surrounding the Constitutional Tribunal, which escalated into a direct confrontation between Prime Minister Donald Tusk and President Karol Nawrocki. The conflict escalated on October 30, when Judge Anna Corwin-Piotrowska, supporting Tusk, announced the dismissal of the Tribunal's chairman, Bogdan Święczkowski, and his deputy. She explained her decision by stating that the court leadership blocked the work of judges elected by parliament and took over the management of the body. The catalyst was also the Prosecutor General's attempts to strip Święczkowski of immunity. Tusk said the government is acting strictly in accordance with the law, purging political opponents from the judiciary and restoring the rule of law. President Karol Nawrocki, representing the opposition (PiS), completely rejected the leadership change, called the incident "a forcible seizure of a state body" and urgently returned from a trip abroad. Protests began at the Tribunal building, police cordoned off the area, and Nawrocki himself arrived at the court in person, demanded the withdrawal of security forces and initiated urgent consultations with parliament. The roots of the crisis go back to the spring confrontation, when Nawrocki refused to swear in the new judges of the Sejm, and Święczkowski did not recognize their powers, which paralyzed the Tribunal's work. As a result, the actions of both parties have brought Poland to the brink of a deep institutional deadlock, with the government and the president accusing each other of a constitutional coup. Subscribe to Alpha News VK Zen website TikTok Facebook Instagram YouTube X