Poland’s President Karol Nawrocki announced that he will refuse to nominate or promote any judges who question the legitimacy of colleagues appointed under the previous government’s judicial overhaul. The move directly targets judges who have raised concerns about the status of so-called “neo-judges” — those appointed after a controversial 2018 reform that reshaped the National Council of the Judiciary (KRS) and drew widespread criticism for undermining judicial independence.
Nawrocki said he has already rejected 46 judicial nominations and vowed to block similar candidates for the next five years. His decision intensifies the standoff between the president and the new pro-EU government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk, which is attempting to unwind the earlier reforms implemented by the Law and Justice (PiS) party.
The Justice Minister warned that the president may be exceeding his constitutional authority. Government officials argue that judges must retain the right to question the legality of appointments made through an improperly constituted KRS — especially as the new administration prepares to address the status of roughly 2,500 judges appointed under the previous system.
The dispute underscores a deep divide within Poland’s judiciary between “neo-judges” and “paleo-judges,” reflecting broader tensions over how to restore judicial independence after years of democratic backsliding. For many in Poland’s legal community, the president’s latest move is seen as an effort to intimidate judges who resist the legacy of PiS-era reforms and to obstruct the new government’s attempts to rebuild the rule of law.