Poland’s president joins protest amid constitutional crisis at top court

On October 30, Polish President Karol Nawrocki turned back his plane en route to Senegal after police entered the premises of Poland's top court and its president was suspended. The suspension of the Constitutional Tribunal’s president by Justice Minister Waldemar Żurek has sparked protests in Warsaw with dozens gathering outside the tribunal building, leading to arrests. The move is seen as a “coup d’état” by Nawrocki’s allies who align with the right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party. Prime Minister Donald Tusk, whose Civic Coalition party opposes these actions, vowed to support the Constitutional Tribunal operating within legal bounds. On November 1, President Nawrocki held crisis talks at the presidential palace with representatives from nationalist and far-right parties but excluded Civic Coalition members. The EU Commission has stated that Poland's Parliament retains the right to appoint judges to the Constitutional Court in accordance with Polish law and European Union rulings.