Poland's court crisis: Brussels presses the president to approve new judges

It is up to the Polish authorities to ensure that the Constitutional Tribunal can function in accordance with the Polish Constitution and with respect for the relevant case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union.

— European Commission spokesperson

Appointing new members of the tribunal is the Sejm's constitutional power, the spokesperson added. The Sejm is the lower house of Parliament, and President Karol Nawrocki has refused to confirm its picks.

On Friday, riot police sealed off the court and the justice minister, who is also prosecutor general, asked to lift the immunity of its president. A judge named by the governing majority says she is acting head, but Bogdan Swieczkowski says he remains in office.

The Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, a Polish rights group, says the suspension of the court's president has no legal basis. It still urges Nawrocki to confirm the judges the Sejm chose, and wants the court reformed so no party can politicize it.

What's next

Saturday's talks between Nawrocki and party leaders produced no tangible result. With elections due in November 2027, a University of Warsaw political scientist warned of a risk of escalation.