Headlines
Polish president vetoes court reform, deepening feud with government
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on February 19, 2026
2 min readLast updated: February 19, 2026
Tags:European Union
Quick Summary
President Karol Nawrocki vetoed a bill to reform the National Council of the Judiciary, which manages judge appointments. The decision deepens clashes with the Tusk government and may extend EU rule‑of‑law disputes.
WARSAW, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Poland's nationalist President Karol Nawrocki has vetoed a bill reforming the way judges are appointed, he said on Thursday, prolonging the deadlock over reforms that are central to the programme of his centrist rival Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
Tusk's coalition government came to power in 2023, vowing to roll back judicial reforms implemented by its nationalist predecessor Law and Justice (PiS), which critics including the European Union said politicised the way judges are appointed and disciplined.
Their efforts were initially stymied by PiS ally President Andrzej Duda, whose term ended in 2025, and Nawrocki, who was also backed by PiS, has also opposed the government's reforms.
The most significant change in the bill was the removal of parliament's authority to elect members of the National Council of the Judiciary, which appoints judges. Instead, its members would have been chosen by judges themselves.
However, PiS opposes any reform that would call into question the legitimacy of judges appointed under the system they introduced, saying it would cause chaos in the judicial system.
"The act introduces segregation of judges and places the justice system in the hands of political interest groups," Nawrocki said in a recorded statement. "I strongly oppose dividing judges into better and worse."
However, the government accused Nawrocki of deepening the disarray in the judicial system they say PiS's reforms caused.
"He could have ended the chaos in the courts, but instead he wrote another page of that drama," government spokesperson Adam Szlapka wrote on X.
(Reporting by Alan Charlish, Anna Koper, Barbara Erling)
Key Takeaways
- •President Karol Nawrocki vetoed a bill to reform Poland’s National Council of the Judiciary (KRS).
- •The KRS oversees the process of appointing judges across Poland’s courts.
- •Critics say the judiciary became politicised under the previous government from 2015–2023.
- •The veto heightens tensions between the president and Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s coalition.
- •The move may prolong Poland’s dispute with EU institutions over rule-of-law standards.
Frequently Asked Questions about Polish president vetoes court reform, deepening feud with government
1What is the main topic?
Poland’s president vetoed a bill to reform the National Council of the Judiciary (KRS), the body involved in selecting judges. The decision intensifies domestic political tensions and has EU rule‑of‑law implications.
2Why did the president veto the bill?
While specifics were not detailed in the brief, the veto reflects an ongoing clash over how judges are chosen and broader disagreements with the government’s justice reforms.
3What does the KRS do?
The National Council of the Judiciary recommends candidates for judicial appointments and helps safeguard judicial standards. Changes to its makeup and selection rules affect Poland’s court system and legal stability.
