Polish president cuts short trip to Senegal amid court 'coup d'état' claims

Polish President Karol Nawrocki cut short his flight to Senegal on Friday, saying he needed to be in Poland amid a dispute over the Constitutional Tribunal. Law and Justice Party supporters protested the suspension of its president, Bogdan Ciechowski. Responding to incidents during the demonstration outside the tribunal, riot police were deployed on the grounds of the tribunal but had not entered the building. Five, four, three, two, one. The suspension was announced by Judge Anna Korwin-Piotrowska. Justice Minister Waldemar Zurek has asked for immunity to be lifted for Siewierski and his deputy, Bartłomiej Sokanski. The tribunal's official X account called the move a coup d'état and said Korwin Pietroska was not one of its judges. The dispute centers on judges appointed under PiS, which governed from 2015 to 2023. The EU accused the court of being too close to that government. Prime Minister Donald Tusk pledged to resolve the dispute after his 2023 election victory, but Nawrocki has blocked his court appointments.