European Commission monitors Polish Constitutional Tribunal crisis following Warsaw court confrontation

The European Commission stated on Saturday that it is closely monitoring the escalating crisis surrounding Poland's Constitutional Tribunal, according to Euronews and UA.NEWS. The announcement follows a confrontation outside the high court building on Friday night that was broadcast live on television, Euronews reported. European officials stated that Polish authorities must ensure the tribunal functions in line with the national constitution. [1][4]

The European Commission asserted that the Polish parliament has the right to appoint judges to the Constitutional Tribunal, according to Euronews. The recent court confrontation has pushed a decade-old legal dispute back into European political debate, Euronews reported. Belga Share separately reported that the European Union is putting pressure on the Polish president to recognise tribunal judges. [1][5]

Tensions intensified after the Polish government suspended two senior justices, as FTMQ News reported earlier. Polish police secured the Constitutional Tribunal in Warsaw during overnight demonstrations, while judges alleged that actions against the tribunal constituted a coup d'etat, according to AzerNews and earlier FTMQ News reports. Polish President Karol Nawrocki aborted a flight to Senegal to return to Warsaw, EU Today and earlier FTMQ News reports noted. [2][6][8]

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk defended the court overhaul in a televised address, promising to push through the tribunal reforms despite public protests and opposition pushback, as FTMQ News reported earlier. The president accused Tusk's government of trying to execute a forced takeover of the high court. In response to the standoff, opposition politicians initiated a motion of no confidence against Tusk's administration, while the president called for crisis talks, according to Fakti.bg and earlier FTMQ News reports. [7][9]