Poland President Karol Nawrocki forms council to draft new constitution amid deep political divide

President Karol Nawrocki appointed a seven‑member Council for a New Constitution, naming former Constitutional Tribunal president Julia Przyłębska, constitutionalist Ryszard Piotrowski, former justice minister Barbara Piwnik, ex‑Sejm speaker Józef Zych, Prof. Anna Łabno, Prof. Ryszard Legutko and Marek Jurek. The move is intended to initiate work on revising the 1997 constitution.

Opposition parties and liberal commentators have denounced the initiative as a political attack. Prof. Ryszard Legutko warned that “a large part of lawyers and politicians have turned law into a tool of destruction.” PiS deputy Łukasz Kmita suggested the president should have powers comparable to those of the French or US heads of state. Critics such as Krzysztof Gawkowski and Radosław Sikorski stressed that any amendment requires a qualified two‑thirds majority in both chambers, which is unlikely given the current polarization between the Civic Coalition and Law & Justice.

Analysts note that Poland has only experienced two true “constitutional moments” – 1989 and 1997 – and that consensus is essential for a successful reform. The council’s composition, largely dominated by allies of the president, fuels further debate over the feasibility and legitimacy of a constitutional overhaul.