Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said in an address on October 31 that opponents of changes to the Constitutional Tribunal, including politicians from the opposition Law and Justice party (PiS), were benefiting from the support of an “army of Russian bots online.” He offered no verifiable evidence that such a network was Russian or involved in the dispute.
On October 30, Constitutional Tribunal judge Anna Korwin-Piotrowska ordered a one-month suspension from duties for tribunal president Bogdan Święczkowski and his deputy, Bartłomiej Sochański. The previous leadership rejected her authority, leaving the legality of the leadership change in dispute. Polish President Karol Nawrocki described the developments as a “forcible takeover” of the court, while Tusk defended efforts to restore the rule of law.
Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, had earlier described events in Poland as a “constitutional coup.” Tusk referred to Medvedev's remarks when alleging that pro-Russian forces were supporting opponents of the Polish government.