Poland's Judicial Tug-of-War: President Vetoes Reform Bill

Poland's President Karol Nawrocki vetoed a judicial reform bill, prolonging the standoff with centrist Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Tusk, elected in 2023, aims to reverse prior amendments enforced by the nationalist Law and Justice party. The rejection raises concerns about the legitimacy of judges previously appointed.

On Thursday, Poland's President Karol Nawrocki vetoed a controversial bill aimed at reforming how judges are appointed, prolonging a critical deadlock in the country's legal system. This decision clashes directly with the agenda of Prime Minister Donald Tusk, whose centrist government seeks to undo previous reforms instituted by the nationalist Law and Justice party.

Prime Minister Tusk's administration came to power in 2023, promising to reverse judicial appointments and disciplinary processes that were said to politicize the judiciary, a stance supported by the European Union. Nawrocki, backed by the same nationalist circles as his predecessor President Andrzej Duda, has opposed these efforts to transition control of the National Council of the Judiciary from parliament to judges themselves.

Nawrocki criticized the bill for potentially division within the judiciary, warning against 'segregation of judges.' Meanwhile, government spokesperson Adam Szlapka accused Nawrocki of exacerbating the turmoil caused by Law and Justice's original reforms, marking another chapter in Poland's ongoing judicial saga.

(With inputs from agencies.)