Poland witnessed fresh tensions between its government and the nationalist right on Friday after riot police were deployed around the country's constitutional tribunal following the suspension of its chief justice, Bogdan Swieczkowski.

Poland President Karol Nawrocki also cut short an official visit to Africa and decided to return to Warsaw amid the escalating dispute.

Dozens of police personnel guarded the court building as supporters of the opposition Law and Justice party (PiS) gathered to protest Swieczkowski's removal. The court's official social media account described the development as a "coup d'etat", while insisting that Swieczkowski remained in office.

Why was the chief justice suspended

The suspension was announced by constitutional tribunal judge Anna Korwin-Piotrowska. Justice minister and attorney general Waldemar Zurek said he had sought the lifting of the legal immunity enjoyed by Swieczkowski and his deputy, Bartlomiej Sochanski.

The move comes amid a prolonged dispute over the composition and functioning of Poland's top court. The government has been attempting to remove judges appointed during the previous PiS administration, which governed the country from 2015 to 2023.

What is the political dispute behind the crisis

The confrontation is part of a wider battle between Prime Minister Donald Tusk's centrist government and the nationalist right over judicial appointments and the independence of the courts.

During PiS's tenure, the European Union repeatedly raised concerns about the constitutional tribunal's proximity to the government. The court had also delivered several rulings favouring Polish legislation over European Union law.

Tusk, who came to power after the 2023 election, had promised to resolve the long-running dispute with Brussels and restore the rule of law. However, President Nawrocki has blocked his government's nominations to the Constitutional Tribunal, adding to the institutional standoff.

How have the government and opposition reacted

Tusk defended the action, saying restoring the rule of law was the government's responsibility.

"After years of PiS-led lawlessness, this is a difficult process, sometimes painful, and it requires decisive action. There is no other way," he said in a post on X.

PiS supporters gathered outside the court, chanting "Tusk traitor", according to an AFP journalist at the scene. Some demonstrators also held rosaries and religious images while praying.

Why did the president cancel his Africa visit

Nawrocki, an independent politician aligned with the right, cancelled his planned flight to Senegal for an official visit and decided to return to Warsaw as the confrontation escalated.

His decision came as police presence increased around the Constitutional Tribunal and opposition supporters mobilised against the suspension of its chief justice.

What is the court's position

The constitutional tribunal's official X account rejected the suspension, calling it a "coup d'etat" and maintaining that Swieczkowski continued to hold the post.

It also argued that Korwin-Piotrowska could not take over as interim chief justice because she had not been sworn in by the president. The court's official website was inaccessible on Friday evening.