Tusk Cries ‘Russian Interference’ As Opposition Pushes No-Confidence Vote For Court Takeover

Recent days have seen Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk thrust into the international spotlight after what’s been widely dubbed a forced takeover of what’s supposed to be an independent top court, the Constitutional Tribunal.

Another key official, Poland’s Supreme Court First President Zbigniew Kapiński, has joined the growing chorus of those condemning Tusk’s actions as tantamount to orchestrating a coup d’état.

“These actions bear the hallmarks of a coup d’état,“ Kapiński declared Monday, in reference to the chaotic events kicked into motion Friday night.

According to more of Kapiński’s remarks as quoted in The Hungarian Conservative:

Kapiński insisted that Bogdan Święczkowski remained the legitimate president of the Tribunal and warned that the government could attempt a similar takeover of the Supreme Court itself. Appointed to his current position by President Karol Nawrocki in May, he argued that nothing comparable had happened since the introduction of martial law in communist Poland.

The Supreme Court chief has also convened an extraordinary General Assembly of judges for Tuesday, 3 November, to discuss threats to Poland’s constitutional order and adopt an official position on the crisis.

When The Economist notes that democracy is being blown up…

Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal is supposed to embody democratic stability, but has spent the past decade as a battleground for fights between populists and liberals. The latest conflict looks like a full-blown constitutional crisis.

The Polish legal system includes several top courts, with the Supreme Court being the highest court of appeal for common civil as well as military courts.

Tusk tripling down…

Instead of backing down, Tusk is vowing to see through the sitting of his judges, which essentially started by force on Friday night:

Poland’s prime minister, Donald Tusk, has vowed to see through a contested overhaul of the country’s constitutional court, declaring that “in certain matters, there can be no compromise”.

In a prime-time television address on Saturday night, Tusk was defiant, despite overnight protests that saw riot police drafted to protect the court’s building, saying the shake-up was vital to restore a tribunal crippled by years of political disputes.

…Defending the action, Tusk said “there was never any doubt that the court in the form imposed by PiS was not a genuine court”, citing adverse rulings from European tribunals.

He went on to reject opposition (as well as some international) outrage as akin to “a thief snatching an elderly woman’s handbag, running off, and when he is caught, he screams that he is subjected to violence.”

And cue Tusk supporters lobbing the ‘Russian interference’ charge to explain their actions…

Tusk further stated: “Let’s call things for what they are: for years, there have been organisations and politicians in Poland who seek to destroy democracy and the rule of law. It is no coincidence they find support among pro-Russian forces globally.”

Could this keep escalating toward more coup-plotting and house-cleaning of political rivals?

The opposition, however, is increasingly vocal in calling for Musk’s government to resign altogether, pushing a broader no-confidence vote.

As a reminder, President Karol Nawrocki after disembarking his plane upon his abrupt return to Warsaw Friday night, had physically attempted to gain entry into the Constitutional Tribunal amid unpredented breaking out at the top legislative and legal review body.

Tusk’s pro-European government has said the suspension is necessary to restore judicial independence, while critics from the opposition have likened it to full-blown and obvious judicial coup.