The European Commission appears to be backing Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and his authoritarian seizure of Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal, which the EU claims must be able to function under the Polish Constitution and the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ).
Polish conservatives are pointing out that Tusk’s forceful seizure of the Constitutional Tribunal is being tacitly backed by the EU.
“No one should remain indifferent to what is happening in Poland. Tusk wants to seize the Constitutional Tribunal so that, through pseudo-rulings, he can fully subordinate Poland to the European Union — which always pays lip service to the ‘rule of law’ but now stays silent while the highest independent institution in Poland is under attack,” wrote vice-president of PiS, Patryk Jaki.
Yesterday, Tusk’s left-liberal government forcibly installed its own people posing as judges into the independent Constitutional Tribunal, using the police. It then had the police block the entrance for the legitimate judges.
Police subsequently barred entry to the building, members of Parliament , and tried to block President of the Republic Karol Nawrocki, who cut short his visit to Senegal to defend democracy in Poland.
No one should remain indifferent to what is happening in Poland. Tusk wants to seize the Constitutional Tribunal so that, through pseudo-rulings, he can fully subordinate Poland to the European Union — which always pays lip service to the “rule of law” but now stays silent while the highest independent institution in Poland is under attack.
— Patryk Jaki (@PatrykJaki) October 31, 2026The EU stated that the appointment of new judges is a competence of the Sejm. Commissioner for Democracy, Justice and the Rule of Law Michael McGrath stopped short of endorsing the specific moves that triggered the latest confrontation, but his comments align with the position of Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government that the Tribunal’s long-standing deadlock must end.
McGrath stated: “The Polish Constitutional Tribunal needs to be able to function in accordance with the Polish constitution and the case law of the Court of Justice of the EU. This matters for every Polish citizen, and it is for the Polish authorities to ensure that.”
He highlighted the Venice Commission’s October 2026 opinion, noting that “appointing the new judges lies within the power of the Sejm.” He added that “full respect for the rule of law is what Polish citizens expect and deserve.”
The EU commission has not issued a formal press release specifically endorsing the suspension of the Tribunal’s existing leadership, but so far, statements from the EU appear to show that Brussels stands behind Tusk.
Others, like Polish MEP Dominik Tarczynski, have noted that Tusk’s move paves the way for Poland to be thoroughly absorbed the EU in order to open Poland’s borders, replace the country’s currency with the euro, and secure more power for Germany.
Polish MEP Dominik Tarczyński is explaining what is happening right now at Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal, calling it nothing less than a COUP D’ÉTAT!
“In Poland, we have a liberal-left government led by Donald Tusk, who is the Prime Minister. What is happening right now with the Constitutional Tribunal is that they want to take it over and fill it with their own people.
Why? Because they want to get rid of the Polish currency, bring us into the eurozone, and eliminate our secure borders. They are being pushed by the Germans, who want to spread the burden of illegal migration and send migrants to Poland.
First of all, the Polish złoty is our constitutionally protected currency. They have to change the Constitution to replace it, and without the Constitutional Tribunal, they cannot do that.
So, number one, they want to get rid of our currency and force us to adopt the euro and join the eurozone. Then they want to take our gold reserves, the largest in the European Union, to Frankfurt, to the European Central Bank, which is a German-based institution.
They also want to open our borders. And they want to make sure that when they lose the next elections, which are coming next year, the Constitutional Tribunal will be unable to do anything to stop their actions or reverse what they have done.
There are many more reasons, but I want you to understand one thing: they are under German influence. They are globalists, and we are fighting not just for Poland, but for Europe.
Be like Poland. Be strong. Our nation is strong, and we are going to win this fight!”
— I Meme Therefore I Am 🇺🇸 (@ImMeme0) October 31, 2026The immediate crisis intensified on the evening of Oct. 30. Judge Anna Korwin-Piotrowska, elected by the Sejm in March 2026 and one of those whose oath President Karol Nawrocki has refused to receive, issued orders suspending Tribunal President Bogdan Święczkowski and Vice-President Bartłomiej Sochański from their duties for one month.
She cited provisions allowing interruption of duties and her status as the judge with the longest overall judicial service, and assumed direction of the Tribunal. The existing leadership and the President’s side reject the orders as unlawful and maintain that Korwin-Piotrowska is not a validly serving judge.
UWAGA
– Służby na polecenie Donalda Tuska szturmują budynek Trybunału Konstytucyjnego
– Ludzie zebrani pod Trybunałem próbują odeprzeć ten atak
– Karol Nawrocki, lecący z wizytą międzynarodową do Senegalu, zawraca samolot, by przywrócić porządek w kraju
To jest całkowita abstrakcja.
To jest zamach stanu.
— Pan_komentator (@PanP23929) October 30, 2026Police were deployed to encircle the Tribunal building amid protests. President Nawrocki, returning mid-flight from a planned trip to Senegal and entered the building after breaking through police lines. He described the events as a forcible takeover and a violation of the constitutional order.
Prime Minister Tusk addressed the nation, stating there can be “no compromise” on certain matters and that “in a state governed by the rule of law, a politician cannot enter a court or tribunal and give orders or intimidate judges, even if he is the president.” He pledged to ensure the Tribunal’s safety and ability to operate independently in line with the Constitution.
The European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group in the European Parliament, which includes PiS-aligned members, has condemned the government’s approach and sided with the President.
A General Assembly of judges has been called for Nov. 3, 2026 to address the Tribunal’s 2027 budget draft. Quorum and recognition of the assembly’s legitimacy remain contested, with the existing leadership disputing Korwin-Piotrowska’s authority to convene it. The one-month suspensions, if recognized, would run into late November. Justice Minister Waldemar Żurek has sought to lift the immunity of Święczkowski and Sochański in connection with allegations of obstructing the Tribunal’s work.
The standoff continues a dispute that began with the PiS-era reshaping of the Tribunal after 2015. Nawrocki has refused to swear in several of the judges elected by the current Sejm majority; those judges took oaths in the Sejm in the President’s absence. The Tribunal’s prior leadership has barred them from sitting.
