Tusk warns of forceful action over constitutional court reshuffle, sparks legal backlash

At a public meeting with Monika Piątkowska in Kraków, Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced he would stop playing “nice” and suggested that force might be employed to remove Trybunał Konstytucyjny president Bogdan Święczkowski and install judges chosen by the Sejm majority but not yet sworn in. He framed the dispute as a battle over the court, using a baseball metaphor to illustrate his stance. The court’s president labeled Tusk’s behavior a “state coup” and filed a complaint with the prosecutor’s office.

Opposition lawmaker Sebastian Kaleta responded by posting the relevant penal-code article, warning that any use of force would trigger criminal liability. The episode underscores escalating tensions between the government and Poland’s top constitutional institution.