Polish government moves to strip Constitutional Tribunal chief of immunity and install ally

A minister in Donald Tusk’s government warned that Bogdan Święczkowski’s days as president of the Trybunał Konstytucyjny are numbered, stating he will be formally charged, stripped of parliamentary immunity and, if he refuses to leave the court building, removed by police. The official claimed the prime minister enjoys the support of coalition parties for this decisive step. Prosecutors are reportedly examining allegations tied to Święczkowski’s former role as national prosecutor and his current judicial actions, including possible breaches of article 231 of the criminal code and decisions on interim measures from the European Court of Human Rights.

To replace him, the administration has prepared the oath-taking of Maciej Berek, a former minister for government policy implementation, although doubts remain about his ten-year legal practice requirement. President Karol Nawrocki will not rescind Berek’s oath, and the Sejm’s speaker has urged the president to accept it immediately, dismissing any legal challenge as unfounded.