Polish President Alleges Forceful Takeover of Constitutional Tribunal

Polish President Karol Nawrocki has said that the Constitutional Tribunal in Warsaw was forcibly taken over, TASS reports.

Nawrocki said that a forceful takeover of the Constitutional Tribunal took place in Warsaw overnight. “That night, the constitutional order of the Republic of Poland was violated, and a constitutional state body was seized by force,” local news outlet Business Insider quoted him as saying.

The statement was read out by Pawel Szefernaker, head of the president’s office.

Earlier, Nawrocki called urgent consultations with representatives of parliamentary parties over the dispute surrounding the Constitutional Tribunal.

Poland reports an attempted coup

Polish Justice Minister and Prosecutor General Waldemar Żurek told TVN24 that the situation around the Constitutional Tribunal was stabilising.

“The prosecutor’s office and the police have, in a sense, passed the test, because they prevented an escalation. The people who effectively attacked the Constitutional Tribunal building were removed from it or left on their own. From that point of view, one can say that the situation is stabilising,” he said.

Żurek added that the judges’ decisions were convincing to him. He said legal steps were needed to allow lawfully appointed judges to take office.

“I very much hope that a general assembly will be held. It should decide budgetary matters and possibly questions of immunity,” the minister added.

Nawrocki calls urgent meeting of political forces

Nawrocki called an urgent meeting involving representatives of all political forces to address the crisis at Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal.

Tensions in Poland were triggered by Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s decision to appoint Maciej Berek, a former minister in his government, as a Constitutional Tribunal judge. Protests have regularly taken place outside the institution in recent weeks.

The situation escalated on the night of October 31. Additional forces were brought in to secure the area. Protesters gathered outside the building and tried to break through the barriers, leading to clashes between the crowd and police.