President Karol Nawrocki vetoed the KRS bill and presented his own proposal

The decision by President Karol Nawrocki to reject the government's amendment to the act on the National Council of the Judiciary constitutes another chapter in the dispute over the shape of the judiciary. In his statement, the president emphasized that the changes proposed by Donald Tusk's government introduce unacceptable segregation of judges and pave the way for the politicization of nomination processes. According to the head of state, the veto was necessary to prevent legal chaos and protect the stability of judicial appointments made after 2018. The conflict over the National Council of the Judiciary has been ongoing since 2017, when the rules for electing its judge-members were changed, transferring this competence from the judicial self-government to the Sejm, which became a source of dispute with European institutions. In response to the government's actions, the president submitted his own bill to the Sejm, consisting of 26 articles. This proposal includes, among other things, new rules for announcing judicial vacancies, which representatives of the Ministry of Justice sarcastically referred to as an "authoritarian method". Minister Waldemar Żurek has already announced the implementation of a "Plan B", which is intended to allow for judicial reform despite the presidential opposition. At the same time, Karol Nawrocki signed the act on the national cybersecurity system, but referred it to the Constitutional Tribunal for subsequent review due to concerns from businesses. „I cannot sign a law which, under the banner of restoring the rule of law, in reality introduces a new stage of chaos and opens the way for political influence on judges.” — Karol Nawrocki A separate thread is the signing of the act phasing out some privileges for Ukrainian citizens. The president emphasized that his pressure forced the government to correct its initial plans and link benefits to the obligation of schooling and professional work. The president's decisions sparked a wave of criticism from politicians of the ruling coalition. Government spokesman Adam Szłapka stated that the head of state is "throwing sand in the gears" of democratic changes, while the opposition praised the president for safeguarding the constitutional order. Changes to the KRS act: Selection of judges to the KRS: By the Sejm of the Republic of Poland → By all judges (blocked); Status of judges after 2018: Full-fledged judges → Verification/exclusion (blocked) 26 — articles in the new presidential bill Timeline of events February 19, 2026: February 19, 18:00 — Veto announcement; February 19, 19:00 — Presidential bill; February 19, 20:00 — Government reaction

Media emphasize the blocking of rule of law repairs and the fact that the president is protecting so-called neo-judges appointed after 2018. | Commentators praise the president for assertiveness towards the government and preventing the political verification of judges by the current authorities.