Poland's National Security Bureau demands answers over reported police plans at Constitutional Tribunal

Police presence and intervention reports

On Friday morning, 11 September 2026, six police vehicles appeared outside the Constitutional Tribunal headquarters on Szucha Avenue in Warsaw. The movement coincided with an international conference titled "Prawnonaturalne fundamenty ładu konstytucyjnego", organized to mark the 40th anniversary of the tribunal. Broadcasters Polsat News and TV Republika reported unofficial claims that officers could intervene to block Tribunal President Bogdan Święczkowski from entering his workplace or assist parliamentary appointees in taking their seats. Święczkowski told Wirtualna Polska that police officers were present solely because of the anniversary event and the arrival of invited guests. A representative from the Warsaw Police Command stated that officers were carrying out routine patrol duties across Warsaw with no special mobilization underway.

National Security Bureau demands explanation

Following the broadcast reports, the head of the National Security Bureau, Bartosz Grodecki, addressed an official letter to Minister of the Interior and Administration Marcin Kierwiński. Grodecki requested an immediate confirmation or denial of any planned actions by formations subordinate to the interior ministry against the tribunal. He stated that President Karol Nawrocki expected the legal and factual basis for any potential operations against a constitutional body.

Every action of the services towards a constitutional organ of the state must have a clear legal basis. The President of the Republic of Poland watches over the observance of the Constitution and is the guarantor of the continuity of state authority.

During the anniversary proceedings, the head of the Chancellery of the President, Zbigniew Bogucki, read a letter from Nawrocki addressing the status of the judiciary. In the message, Nawrocki stated that the country could not accept lawlessness and emphasized that the constitution cannot be applied selectively by parliamentary majorities.

Dispute over Maciej Berek's appointment

The tension surrounds the status of Maciej Berek, a former minister in Donald Tusk's chancellery whom the Sejm elected as a Constitutional Tribunal judge in early September. President Nawrocki has not administered the judicial oath to Berek, citing formal and procedural questions regarding statutory qualification requirements. Under Polish law, candidates must meet the requirement of ten years of practice as a legal counsel. Berek maintained that he has accumulated 17 years of experience in the profession, presenting documentation from the District Chamber of Legal Counsels showing activity between 2006 and 2009 and from 2012 to the present. The presidential chancellery previously sent an inquiry to the Marshal of the Sejm regarding formal obstacles to Berek assuming office.

Legal warnings and parallel confrontations

Legal and political actors issued warnings regarding any potential entry into the tribunal building while institutional disputes remain unresolved. Attorney Bartosz Lewandowski noted on social media that any unauthorized enforcement actions against the tribunal during an active competency dispute before the court would carry criminal liability under Articles 128 and 231 of the Penal Code. Energy Minister Miłosz Motyka commented on Polsat News that any lawful police measures would need sound arguments, suggesting that actions could relate to securing documents at an institution handling high-value state matters. Earlier the same day, a separate dispute occurred at the Academy of Justice (AWS), where Sławomir Cudak entered the facility accompanied by police and Prison Service officers. Law and Justice party leader Jarosław Kaczyński described the incident at the academy as an attempt to test procedures ahead of moves against the Constitutional Tribunal.