Tusk defends overhaul of Poland’s constitutional court despite protests

Prime minister says shake-up is vital to restore tribunal crippled by years of political disputes

Poland’s prime minister, Donald Tusk, has vowed to see through a contested overhaul of the country’s constitutional court, declaring that “in certain matters, there can be no compromise”.

In a prime-time television address on Saturday night, Tusk was defiant, despite overnight protests that saw riot police drafted to protect the court’s building, saying the shake-up was vital to restore a tribunal crippled by years of political disputes.

Paralysed for more than a decade, the court sat at the core of rule of law clashes between the rightwing Law and Justice (PiS) party and the EU during the party’s eight-year rule.