Polish President turns back mid-flight from Senegal trip after top court chief's suspension as tensions with PM Tusk escalate

"At such a moment, the President must be in Poland. I'm interrupting my flight to Senegal. I'm returning," Nawrocki said in a post on X.

Polish President Karol Nawrocki returned to Poland on Friday, following the suspension of his far-right ally as the chief of the country's top court.

Polish President Karol Nawrocki, who had been flying to Senegal for a state visit, turned the plane around to return to Warsaw after the tribunal said on its website that the tribunal's president had been suspended. (Reuters)

This intensified the power struggle with Prime Minister Donald Tusk's government over control of the judiciary, Reuters reported.

The Constitutional Tribunal said on Friday that its longest-serving judge, Anna Korwin-Piotrowska, had suspended the tribunal's president, Bogdan Swieczkowski, and assumed charge of the court.

"At such a moment, the President must be in Poland. I'm interrupting my flight to Senegal. I'm returning," Nawrocki said in a post on X.

"After years of PiS-led lawlessness, this is a difficult process, sometimes painful, and it requires decisive action. There is no other way," he said.

According to a Bloomberg report, police entered the tribunal’s premises on Friday as its president, Swieczkowski, and his deputy were served with a one-month suspension. This move marked a significant escalation in the feud over the tribunal.

Protesters gather outside the headquarters of Poland's Constitutional Court after police blocked access to the building in Warsaw.

Move against Swieczkowski - What happened?

The dispute over the Constitutional Tribunal has effectively paralysed the court, with the pro-European government and nationalist President Karol Nawrocki refusing to recognise judicial appointments made by the opposing side, the Reuters report noted.

The conflict dates back to 2015, when the nationalist Law and Justice attempted to appoint judges to seats that had already been filled by the previous government. Its nominees secured a majority on the tribunal, prompting critics at home and abroad to question the court's independence and impartiality.

When PM Tusk's coalition took office in 2023, it pledged to restore the rule of law and reform the court.

However, Nawrocki, an ally of Law and Justice, has acted to thwart those efforts since becoming president.

Jakub Kumoch, Polish ambassador to China, who was appointed under Law and Justice administration, resigned from the post on Friday in reaction to the "events" in Warsaw, he said in a post on X.

"In light of the events in the country, I have concluded that it is no longer possible for me to continue serving as the Ambassador of the Republic of Poland. As of today, I have submitted my resignation and a request for recall," he said in the post.

US Ambassador to Poland Tom Rose, in an X post on Saturday, commented on the situation and said, "The events unfolding tonight at Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal are very serious indeed. We appear to be witnessing an unprecedented confrontation over the government’s use of state power and the independence and authority of a constitutional institution."

Rose acknowledged that "both sides offer sharply different accounts of what happened and why."

The ambassador added, "America is on Poland's side. It is not our place to judge or interfere in its internal affairs. Our concern is for the stability, security, and democratic future of a country we are proud to call our friend and ally."

(with inputs from agencies)