Poland's constitutional crisis thread

[Thanas]

Now that the Polish people have voted the potatoes back in, the problems have started to happen. In recent times, they tried to pack the supreme court which of course has led to protests.

Tens of thousands of people marched through Warsaw on Saturday to protest against what they called the “democratorship” of the month-old conservative government, as Poland remained locked in a constitutional crisis.

Waving Polish and European Union flags, the protesters chanted: “We want the constitution, not a revolution”, demanding that the government respect the rule of law.

The constitutional clash began when the Eurosceptic Law and Justice (PiS) party, which scored a landmark election win in October, appointed five out of 15 judges to the highest judicial body, in a move the opposition described as illegal.

PiS has said judges in the constitutional court need to be replaced to ensure the balance of power in the body.

Gaining control of the court is crucial for the party. It may determine whether PiS is able to implement its flagship policy plans, such as overhauling the retirement system and curbing foreign ownership of banks, moves the court could block.

Yeah, right.