In Poland, Judge Suspends Her Court's President. Protests, Coup Claim Follow

At 6.00 pm local time on October 30, 2026, a short notice appeared on the website of Poland's Constitutional Tribunal. It said the court's president and vice president had been suspended. Within hours, Poland's president had turned his plane around in mid-air, protesters had gathered on the streets, and police had barricaded the court building.

The notice about Bogdan Swieczkowski, the Tribunal's president, and Vice President Bartlomiej Sochanski appeared on the court's website at around 6 pm. The site went down soon afterwards. The suspension was announced by another judge, Anna Korwin-Piotrowska, who said the move was needed to restore the rule of law. As the longest-serving judge, she said she was now leading the Tribunal.

President Cuts Short His Trip

Polish President Karol Nawrocki was on his way to Senegal when the news broke. He turned his flight back and explained why on X. "At a moment like this, the President must be in Poland. I am cutting short my flight to Senegal. I am returning," he wrote.

Protesters gather outside the headquarters of Poland's Constitutional Court after police blocked access to the building in Warsaw, Poland on October 30, 2026.
Photo Credit: AFP

Riot police were deployed around the court. Dozens of protesters gathered to demonstrate against what they see as the wrongful removal of the court's president by the current pro-European government. Some chanted "Tusk traitor". The court's official X account said there had been a "coup d'etat".

Nastąpiło bezprawne przejęcie strony internetowej Trybunału Konstytucyjnego. Prezesem @TK_GOV_PL jest nadal Bogdan Święczkowski, a Wiceprezesem Bartłomiej Sochański. Pani Anna Korwin-Piotrowska nie jest sędzią Trybunału Konstytucyjnego. Wszystkie osoby uczestniczące w niniejszych działaniach popełniają przestępstwo zamachu stanu.

— Trybunał Konstytucyjny (@TK_GOV_PL) October 30, 2026

Early on Saturday, Nawrocki's chief of staff said the president had entered the building. "President Karol Nawrocki, accompanied by the First President of the Supreme Court, Zbigniew Kapinski, entered the Constitutional Tribunal building," Pawel Szefernaker wrote on X.

Meanwhile, Polish Ambassador to China Jakub Kumoch resigned following the developments.

"In light of the events in the country, I have concluded that it is no longer possible for me to continue serving as the Ambassador of the Republic of Poland. As of today, I have submitted my resignation and a request for recall," he wrote on X. Poland's Foreign Minister, who is in the US for the G20 Summit, responded to his post on X.

"I acknowledge the unprofessional conclusion of your mission. You no longer represent the Republic," Radosław Sikorski wrote. 

Poland's top judicial bodies, including the Constitutional Tribunal, have long been a source of conflict between the government and the main opposition party, the national-conservative Law and Justice (PiS). PiS led the country from 2015 to 2023.

Critics in Poland and the European Union accuse PiS of imposing political control over key judicial institutions, including this court. The reforms led the EU to impose fines on Poland. The court often ruled in favour of Polish legislation over EU law, and the EU said it was too close to the nationalist political power of the time.

Constitutional court president Bogdan Swieczkowski speaks with a megaphone as protesters gather outside the headquarters of the Poland's Constitutional Court in Warsaw after police blocked access to the court building on October 30, 2026.
Photo Credit: AFP

The Government's Case

Prime Minister Donald Tusk's pro-European government came to power in 2023, promising to restore the independence of the judiciary. Since then, two successive presidents aligned with PiS, including Nawrocki, have vetoed its efforts.

Tusk's government has been trying for weeks to force out judges appointed under PiS. Swieczkowski became head of the court under that government, and Tusk has accused him of blocking judges chosen by the parliamentary majority from taking up their posts.

Tusk wrote on X on Friday evening, "Restoring the rule of law is our obligation. After years of lawlessness under PiS, this is a difficult process, sometimes painful, and it requires decisive action. There is no other way." Speaking at Campus Polska in August, he said his government had a plan to staff the Tribunal again with lawfully appointed judges, while accepting that his methods may not suit everyone.

PiS politicians, who form the largest opposition force, criticised the suspension. Former Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro wrote on X on Friday evening, "This is a blatant, criminal attack on the constitutional order. That is why I call for resistance that will be loud, firm, solidary and fearless."