The Guardian reports:

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.

Paralysed for more than a decade, the court sat at the core of rule of law clashes between the rightwing Law and Justice (PiS) party and the EU during the party’s eight-year rule.

Since returning to office in 2023, the centre-right Tusk has sought to unwind those judicial changes, but his agenda has been frustrated by opposition-aligned presidents with extensive veto powers. Earlier this year, president Karol Nawrocki refused to swear in five judges approved by parliament.

The crisis flared again on Friday when a group of government-backed judges attempted to seize procedural control of the tribunal, suspending the PiS-appointed chief judge and deputy and prompting street protests. [Continue reading…]