Polish Minister Maciej Berek Departs Government Amid Speculation of Constitutional Tribunal Nomination

Prime Minister Donald Tusk has announced a significant shift in his government with the departure of Maciej Berek, who held the crucial role of minister overseeing government policy implementation and headed the Standing Committee of the Council of Ministers. Joanna Knapińska, the current head of the Government Legislation Center, will assume Berek's responsibilities.

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Mr. Minister Berek, unlike Mr. Prime Minister Tusk, had the function of 'coordinator of government policy'. Generally, the prime minister should be doing that, it seems to me humbly.

The Prime Minister stated that he and Berek had mutually agreed on this transition to "other tasks." Following Berek's exit from his ministerial portfolio, speculation has intensified in Polish media regarding his potential next move. Reports suggest Berek is being considered as a candidate for a judgeship in the Constitutional Tribunal, a position that has become a focal point of political contention.

Minister Zbigniew Bogucki addressed these speculations in a recent radio interview. When asked about Berek potentially becoming a Constitutional Tribunal judge, Bogucki offered a positive assessment of Berek's past role, noting that Berek had effectively "deputized" for Prime Minister Tusk in coordinating government policy and legislation. Bogucki implied that Berek's experience in this coordination role would be relevant to a judicial position.

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So Mr. Berek was supposed to deputize in this work (for the prime minister) and that's why I speak positively, that he deputized the prime minister in this matter within the framework of coordinating government policy and government legislation.

Bogucki also commented on the presidential aspect of appointing judges to the Constitutional Tribunal. He indicated that President Andrzej Duda generally adheres to established procedures when swearing in new judges, suggesting that if the proper legal steps are followed, the president would likely accept Berek's oath. This comes amid ongoing debates surrounding the appointment of judges to the tribunal by the current parliamentary majority, with past selections having faced scrutiny and legal challenges.

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If the procedures are followed, then the president accepts the oath.