Riot police were deployed outside Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal in Warsaw on Friday night as a dispute over judicial appointments escalated into a confrontation between Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s centrist government and the nationalist opposition.

Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the tribunal after judges appointed by the current parliamentary majority announced the suspension of the tribunal’s president, Bogdan Swieczkowski, and his deputy, Bartlomiej Sochanski. The move was condemned by the opposition Law and Justice party (PiS), prompting President Karol Nawrocki, a PiS ally, to cut short a trip abroad and return to Poland.

Police reported three arrests for attempting to enter the court complex. Tusk's government has stated its actions are necessary to restore judicial independence, which it claims was undermined by years of political interference under the previous PiS administration. The Constitutional Tribunal plays a crucial role in Poland's legal system, deciding the constitutionality of laws and thus holding significant political power.

This latest conflict traces its roots to 2015, when the outgoing parliament, led by Tusk's Civic Platform party, elected five judges. The incoming PiS government subsequently declared only three of these appointments legally valid and elected its own replacements, a move that then-President Andrzej Duda refused to ratify for the three lawfully elected judges.

During its eight years in power, PiS enacted broader judicial reforms that critics argued compromised the independence of the courts. PiS is now the main opposition party in Poland. Wojciech Przybylski, editor-in-chief of Visegrad Insight, described the situation as a "power play to control who serves as a justice, in what positions, and how the court system operates in Poland."

The PiS party has characterized the current government's actions as an illegal power grab and an attack on the judiciary. They argue that the new government is attempting to politicize the court by replacing judges appointed under their previous tenure.

Protesters supporting PiS gathered outside the tribunal, some carrying Polish flags and banners, while police in riot gear maintained a cordon around the building. The scene highlighted the deep political divisions within Poland regarding the judiciary and the rule of law.

President Nawrocki's swift return underscores the gravity with which the opposition views these developments. The ongoing dispute is expected to further intensify political tensions and potentially lead to legal challenges regarding the legitimacy of the tribunal's recent decisions and the government's interventions.