Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Saturday defended his government's decision to suspend the president of the country's Constitutional Tribunal, vowing to continue efforts to restore judicial independence as hundreds of people staged a second night of protests.
The pro-European government described the suspension as necessary to reform the judiciary, while opposition figures condemned the move as a "coup d'etat."
President Karol Nawrocki, a critic of Tusk's government, cut short his flight to Senegal on Friday evening and returned to Poland. He later visited the Constitutional Tribunal and said he had helped its suspended president, Bogdan Święczkowski, enter the building.
Police detained three demonstrators on Friday night after some protesters allegedly threw objects at officers and attempted to break through security barriers surrounding the court.
The latest dispute has heightened political tensions in Poland, with a parliamentary election due next year. It has further deepened the confrontation between Tusk's pro-European coalition and the nationalist-conservative opposition Law and Justice party, known as PiS.
PiS governed Poland from 2015 to 2023. Critics in Poland and the European Union have accused the party of undermining judicial independence by exercising political influence over key courts. Its judicial reforms previously prompted the EU to impose financial penalties on the country.
Tusk's coalition came to power in 2023, promising to restore the independence of the judiciary. However, its reform initiatives have repeatedly faced obstacles, including presidential vetoes by two successive presidents aligned with PiS, including Nawrocki.
"Restoring the rule of law is our obligation," Tusk wrote on X on Friday, arguing that decisive measures were necessary to address years of alleged violations under the previous government.
He also acknowledged that his government's approach might not satisfy everyone but insisted that the tribunal must be staffed with judges appointed in accordance with the law.
The Constitutional Tribunal has faced prolonged controversy over its independence. The European Union's top court previously questioned its impartiality following appointments made during PiS rule. Tusk's attempts to reform the institution have also encountered resistance from Nawrocki and Święczkowski.
The tribunal announced Święczkowski's suspension on its website on Friday evening, triggering protests outside the court. Among those joining the demonstrations were PiS leader Jarosław Kaczyński and far-right politicians.
The government accused Święczkowski, who became tribunal president under the former PiS administration, of repeatedly violating the law and obstructing the institution's work. Tusk also alleged that he had prevented judges elected by the parliamentary majority from taking their positions.
Marcin Przydacz, a senior aide to Nawrocki, described the developments as a serious constitutional crisis, accusing the government of attempting to seize control of an important institution illegally.
He said the president had invited representatives of all parliamentary parties to discussions on Saturday to ease tensions and seek a resolution.
Representatives of Poland 2050 and the Polish People's Party, both members of Tusk's governing coalition, attended the meeting alongside several opposition parties. Tusk himself did not participate.
Nawrocki's camp hopes the dispute could weaken the prime minister's parliamentary majority, Przydacz said.
Speaking on Saturday evening, Tusk compared PiS to someone who steals an elderly woman's purse and then claims to be the victim when police recover it.
He accused PiS and the president of further undermining the country's rule of law through their response to Święczkowski's suspension and Friday's attempts to enter the tribunal by force.