Polish PM vows to use 'all means' to appoint new Constitutional Tribunal judges amid dispute

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk declared his government's intention to use "all available means" to enforce the appointment of new judges to the Constitutional Tribunal (TK). Tusk asserted that the TK must be filled with judges elected by the Sejm, irrespective of any objections.

The situation at the TK has become increasingly contentious, highlighted by the recent failure of the General Assembly to convene for a second time. This inability to meet stems from disputes over the validity of judges chosen by the Sejm in March. Two such appointees, Krystian Markiewicz and Marcin Dziurda, were denied entry to the TK building, prompting them to call the police, who were accompanied by a prosecutor.

TK President Bogdan Święczkowski condemned the events as an "attempted coup against a constitutional organ of the state." In response, Prime Minister Tusk described the current state of the TK as "very sad" and indicated that the government's actions were just the "beginning." He clarified that the government would "enforce the provisions of the law" to ensure the judges' appointments, promising a process that leaves "no doubt."

The dispute involves four judges elected by the Sejm in March who have not yet officially taken their posts. While two other elected judges, Dariusz Szostek and Magdalena Bentkowska, took their oaths in April and assumed their duties, the status of the remaining four remains contested. The President's Chancellery has raised concerns about procedural errors in their Sejm election, leading to a stalemate.