Judicial crisis erupts in Poland between President Duda, new government

WARSAW

Polish President Andrzej Duda told the president of the lower house of parliament, the Sejm, that he will never allow the status of judges he appointed to be undermined.

"As President of the Republic of Poland, tasked by Article 126 (2) of the Constitution to ensure that this Article is respected, I will never consent to the status of judges appointed by the President of the Republic of Poland being questioned," Duda wrote Tuesday in a letter to Szymon Holownia.

After the coalition government came to power, steps to be taken by Duda, who is known to be close to the previous government, are being discussed.

The new government, led by Donald Tusk, is planning structural changes in the judiciary, arguing that it has been politicized.

The coalition government accuses the previous Law and Justice Party government of politicizing the judiciary and claims that Duda's appointments are also political and violate the Constitution.

*Writing in Istanbul by Zeynep Cetin