Poland: Constitutional Court Chief's Suspension Ignites Protests and Cuts Short President's Trip

Polish authorities suspended Constitutional Court Chief Bogdan Swiątkiewicz and his deputy Sochański, with the announcement sparking a wave of protests outside the Court's headquarters in Warsaw and forcing President Karol Nawrocki to cut short his visit to Senegal and return.

The Constitutional Court website published the statement around 6 p.m. local time. Judge Anna Korwin-Piotrowska, as the senior-most judge on the Court, assumed its presidency in Swiątkiewicz's place. Swiątkiewicz had been elected as a judge on the Constitutional Court in February 2022 during the PiS government, before President Andrzej Duda appointed him Court Chief on December 9, 2024. Prime Minister Donald Tusk had accused Swiątkiewicz of directly obstructing judges selected by the current parliament in their duties.

Gathered outside the building were Law and Justice (PiS) party chief Jarosław Kaczyński, former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, former Court President Julia Przyłębska, and a large number of people. Police detained three individuals after some protesters scaled the Court's walls and hurled projectiles at police officers.

Nawrocki announced on X: "At a moment like this, the President must be in Poland. I am cutting my trip to Senegal. I am returning." His plane turned around over Spain as it headed back, with more than fifty thousand people tracking his flight via FlightRadar24. Upon arrival, he met with Swiątkiewicz and Chief Justice Zbigniew Kołasiński at the presidential palace.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk wrote on X: "Restoring the rule of law is our task; this is a difficult journey, sometimes painful, and requires decisive steps. There is no other way." The pro-European government led by Tusk came to power in 2023 with a promise to restore judicial independence.

On another front, Poland's ambassador to Beijing Jakub Kumoch announced on X that he had concluded it was no longer possible for him to continue serving in the embassy given the events his country is experiencing, tendering his resignation and requesting dismissal from his post. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski responded by saying: "I note that your mission has ended unprofessionally. You no longer represent the Republic of Poland."

Ongoing political disputes spanning years over judicial appointments in Poland continue to practically paralyze the Constitutional Court's operations.