Donald Tusk calls on Polish president to confirm judges as constitutional court crisis rumbles on

Published on 2 November 2026 - 17:16 GMT+1

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has called on President Karol Nawrocki to confirm judges elected by parliament to Poland's Constitutional Tribunal.

The move comes after protesters and riot police faced off outside the court last week following the suspension of its president, in the latest incident in an intensifying stand-off over judicial appointments and control of the Tribunal.

"Resolving the conflict is simple and can be achieved without amending the constitution," Tusk wrote in a post on social media on Monday. "The President recognises the judges lawfully elected by the Sejm, as stipulated by the constitution, and they take up their duties at the Tribunal."

He also accused Nawrocki of "opting for a forceful confrontation, which could cost Poland dearly."

Since returning to power in 2023, Tusk has vowed to resolve the constitutional crisis, which has been going on for more than a decade.

The nationalist opposition retains control of the constitutional court, and while parliament has elected new judges, not all have been allowed to swear an oath before the president. Appointments to the Tribunal have become highly politicised, with some querying its independence.

The previous PiS government appointed politically committed judges to the court in 2015, who are recognised neither by Tusk nor the European Union.

The crisis escalated on Friday night when police deployed around the Tribunal as judicial and political authorities took steps affecting its leadership. Nawrocki cut short a trip from Senegal to return to Warsaw as the situation unfolded.

Conservative demonstrators and members of Poland's right-wing and far-right opposition branded the government's moves as a "coup d'etat," while the pro-European ruling coalition said the actions were necessary to preserving the rule of law.

On Saturday, Nawrocki held talks with political leaders, but these produced no major results.

The European Commission has said it is closely monitoring the crisis and that the Polish Parliament had the right to appoint judges to the constitutional court.

“It is for the Polish authorities to ensure that the Constitutional Tribunal can function in accordance with the Polish constitution and in respect of the relevant case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union,” a Commission spokesperson told Euronews.

“The appointment of eight new members of the Constitutional Tribunal lies within the constitutional power of the Sejm, Poland’s parliament,” they added.