President Karol Nawrocki Swears in Two of Six Newly Elected Constitutional Judges

Polish President Karol Nawrocki accepted the oaths of office from two of six newly elected Constitutional Tribunal judges on Wednesday, April 1, inviting only Dariusz Szostek and Magdalena Bentkowska to the Presidential Palace and leaving four other Sejm-elected candidates without an invitation. The head of the President's Chancellery, Zbigniew Bogucki, announced the decision at a press conference shortly after noon, stating that the oaths were conducted "in accordance with the legal and constitutional order." The ceremony at the Presidential Palace was also attended by the President of the Constitutional Tribunal Bogdan Święczkowski, the First President of the Supreme Court Małgorzata Manowska, and the Deputy President of the Supreme Administrative Court. Bogucki said both new judges should "immediately report to the Tribunal and take up adjudicatory activities."

Two vacancies, one term — the president's legal reasoning Bogucki outlined two reasons for the president's selective approach. The first was chronological: President Nawrocki was sworn in on August 6, 2025, and two seats on the Tribunal fell vacant on December 5 and December 20, 2025 — both during his term. „The President decided that it is his basic responsibility as the head of state, but also within the framework of the mandate proposed from August 6, to fill these two vacancies” — Zbigniew Bogucki via Polsat News The second reason concerned the Tribunal's operational capacity. Bogucki noted that the full bench of the Tribunal requires a statutory minimum of 11 judges, and with only 9 sitting judges prior to Wednesday's ceremony, the addition of Szostek and Bentkowska brings the court to exactly that threshold. Bogucki warned that any attempt to administer the oath through an alternative body or remotely would constitute "a constitutional tort and a serious crime." 11 (judges) — minimum required for Constitutional Tribunal full bench

Justice minister raises alarm over the remaining four judges The four judges elected by the Sejm who did not receive invitations are Krystian Markiewicz, Maciej Taborowski, Marcin Dziurda, and Anna Korwin-Piotrowska. Minister of Justice and Prosecutor General Waldemar Żurek publicly challenged the president's decision, calling on Nawrocki to clarify whether the remaining four would receive invitations "tomorrow or the day after tomorrow." Żurek argued that the president has a constitutional obligation to accept the oaths of all judges elected by the Sejm, warning that failure to do so would mean the president "grossly violates the constitution." He suggested three alternative scenarios for the remaining judges: swearing in before the parliament, before the Speaker of the Sejm, or remotely. „Of course, this 'before the president' today, as can be seen, may no longer mean 'directly, face to face, in the presence of the president'” — Waldemar Żurek via PAP Żurek also accused Nawrocki of attempting to "usurp power" by treating the oath ceremony as a discretionary presidential act rather than a constitutional formality. Prime Minister Donald Tusk said earlier that "the president has no choice" and that the elected judges "one way or another, will take the oath," according to reporting by Fakt24.

Political lines harden as coalition watches its next move The Sejm elected all six judges in March 2026, with the candidates drawn from across the governing coalition: Krystian Markiewicz, Maciej Taborowski, and Marcin Dziurda were recommended by Civic Coalition (KO), Anna Korwin-Piotrowska by the Left, Dariusz Szostek by Poland 2050, and Magdalena Bentkowska by the Polish People's Party (PSL). TVN24 political commentators Arleta Zalewska and Konrad Piasecki assessed that the president's selective approach was a deliberate tactical move designed to draw the government coalition into a political confrontation rather than issue an outright refusal. Newly sworn-in judge Dariusz Szostek confirmed he personally asked Nawrocki why only two judges were invited and received the explanation about vacancies arising during the president's term. Szostek also stated he would assume his function at the Tribunal after the Easter holidays, and noted that any composition of the Tribunal below 15 judges is "flawed." The Constitutional Tribunal was established in 1982 and began its adjudicatory work in 1986. The court has been the focal point of a sustained political dispute in Poland since 2015, when the then-ruling Law and Justice party introduced changes to the appointment and functioning of the Tribunal that critics said undermined judicial independence. The dispute over the Tribunal's composition and legitimacy has continued under successive governments and remains unresolved as of 2026.

Key events in the TK oath dispute: — ; — ; — ; — ; —