Polish Minister’s Dismissal of Krakow University Rector Overturned by Administrative Court
A Warsaw administrative court nullified the education minister’s removal of the rector of the Krakow university, permitting him to return to office.
The Ministry of Science, led by Marcin Kulasek, removed Professor Piotr Borek from his post as rector of the Uniwersytet Komisji Edukacji Narodowej in Krakow, citing alleged "egregious or persistent violations of law" and numerous labor infractions, according to advisory opinions from the Rada Główna Nauki i Szkolnictwa Wyższego and the Kolegium Rektorskie Akademickich Szkół Polskich. On September 30, the Wojewódzki Sąd Administracyjny in Warsaw annulled the ministerial decision, allowing Borek to return to his position.
Senator Włodzimierz Bernacki, a former state secretary in science ministries, welcomed the verdict and called for stability at the university. The ministry indicated it will consider filing a cassation complaint, pending receipt of the court’s written reasoning. Borek, who previously appeared on the YouTube channel "one outlet," claimed the dismissal process began in early September 2024 and was driven solely by political motives, noting that former minister Dariusz Wieczorek had offered him a symbolic 1-zł functional allowance to pressure his resignation. He also recalled support from former minister Przemysław Czarnk during a financial restructuring of the university five years earlier.
Why it matters
The ruling limits a minister's ability to intervene in university leadership, reinforcing institutional autonomy.
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