Polish president holds crisis talks in court standoff

Polish President Karol Nawrocki held talks with political leaders at the presidential palace on Saturday amid a dispute over the independence of the Constitutional Tribunal, following the suspension of its chief judge, Bogdan Swieczkowski. Nationalist, far-right and some governing coalition parties attended, while Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s Civic Coalition stayed away. No breakthrough had emerged by Saturday afternoon. In a speech that evening, Tusk accused conservative nationalist opposition leaders of seeking to destroy democracy and the rule of law, as PiS supporters continued protests outside the court.