Żurek vs Nawrocki: “It will not be like this while I am minister”

Waldemar Żurek, Minister of Justice and lawyer General, announced extremist steps to reconstruct the regulation of law in the Polish judiciary in an interview with Andrzej Stankiewicz for Onetu. In sharp words he referred to Karol Nawrocki, stressing that as long as he was in office, he would not let the president to decide who the justice was. Żurek presented an ambitious plan for reforming the National Judicial Council (NRS), announcing changes without the request for fresh laws. He declared to rapidly get free of the prosecutor's office people associated with erstwhile Minister Zbigniew Ziobra.

Waldemar Żurek. Photo: screen shot, KPRM

Starting with Nawrock: “It will not be like this while I am Minister”

Waldemar Żurek openly admits that his approach to cooperation with Karol Nawrocki is confrontational. Nawrocks, elected president after controversy over the ruling Chamber of Extraordinary Control and Public Affairs of the ultimate Court, raises doubts about the legality of his choice. The Minister openly admits that he does not recognise the legality of this Chamber, and Nawrocki considers himself president only due to his oath in the Sejm.“I have a very different view than my predecessor [Adam Bodnar]. I would not go to the sitting of this Chamber and say “high court” said Zurek.

Nawrocki announced that he would not nominate or advance judges who, in his opinion, agree to constitutional order, which Żurek calls an effort to usurp the function “King of the Sun”. The Minister stresses that the constitution clearly defines the function of the president in the process of appointing judges as notarial, with key decisions taken by the National Court Register."It will not be like this in Poland while I am Minister of Justice and lawyer General. We will not appoint judges” – declared Żurek, announcing the suspension of the announcement of fresh judicial posts in the general courts.

KRS reform: "No bill project"

One of the key points of the Żurka programme is the improvement of the National Judicial Council, which since 2017, as a consequence of changes introduced by the Law and Justice, functions as the alleged neo-KRS. Its composition and legality are contested by the current ruling coalition and part of the legal community. Żurek is considering respective improvement scenarios, of which he is closest to the thought of reactivation of the KRS before 2018. specified a decision would let the constitutional composition of the Council to be restored without the request to pass a fresh law, which is crucial in the face of the expected veto of president Nawrocki.

‘This is simply a draft without a bill to be clear” – Żurek emphasizes, explaining that changes can be made by applying the Constitution straight and disregarding the unconstitutional provisions introduced by the Law and Justice. The Minister did not uncover details, explaining that this requires arrangements within the governing coalition. An alternate thought is the selection of a fresh membership of the KRS by the judiciary, which, however, raises concerns for any judges about politicising the process. Żurek assures that each of his plans will be solidly justified legally, and he himself is ready to defy from the neo-KRS, including her chief Dagmara Pawełczyk-Woicka. "I am not afraid that Mrs. Dagmara Pawełczyk-Woicka will take the box and go to the President's office due to the fact that we heard specified voices. Let him go. There was a Pope in Rome and Avignon. He is inactive in Rome, and in Avignon.” – ironic by the minister.

Neos Judges: call for leave

The question of the alleged neo-judges, i.e. those appointed by the neo-KRS, remains 1 of the most hard challenges for Żurek. There are presently about 10 1000 judges in Poland, of which 2.5 1000 are neojudges. The Minister, referring to his predecessor Adam Bodnar's plan, which divided them into 3 groups (starters, promoted and lawyers outside the justice system), admits that he likes the idea, but is not a priority. Instead, Żurek wants to focus on another activities that will reconstruct order in the judiciary more quickly.

At the KRS gathering on 26 August 2025, the Minister addressed the neojudges directly: "I will be a legal method to guarantee that you leave this building." He besides announced a regress action against neo-Judges who make damages to the state due to the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (ETPCz) declaring their participation in the judicial proceedings to be illegal. “These will be lawsuits for precisely what the state paid for them” – emphasises Żurek, pointing out that this is peculiarly the case for ultimate Court judges, including Małgorzata Manowska, head of the ultimate Court.

Prosecutor's Office: ‘I'll get free of the Ziebra people’

Waldemar Żurek does not halt at the judiciary – he announces a revolution in the prosecutor's office, where the influence of Zbigniew Ziobra's people inactive dominate. As lawyer General, he plans a thorough reorganization of the prosecutor's office, where the key positions are inactive occupied by persons associated with Zbigniew Ziobra, specified as Michał Ostrowski, Tomasz Janeczek, Robert Hernand and Krzysztof Sierak. "I'll get free of them reasonably quickly, according to the law" “The minister declares that Nawrocki has no competence in this matter. Żurek wants to make an independent prosecutor's office, free from political influence, and supply protection to linear prosecutors who are frequently afraid to press charges on politically delicate matters.

The Minister besides referred to investigations of abuses under the regulation of Law and Justice, specified as the case of the Justice Fund, Pegasus or the Government strategical Reserve Agency (RARS). There are already 15 suspects and 34 charges in the RARS case, and on August 4, 2025, the first indictment was sent. Żurek emphasizes that investigations are conducted meticulously, although the scale of evidence (e.g. 4.5 1000 files in 1 of the cases) requires time and additional staff. With respect to Pegasus, the minister confirms that there are already allegations related to the acquisition of the system, and the investigation covers both criminals and illegal surveillance cases.

Constitutional Court: a strategy for changing the composition

The Minister stresses the request to change the current composition of the Constitutional Court, which he believes was formed illegally – both by the participation of the "dublers" and the controversial election of the current President, Bogdan Święczkowski. Żurek points out that the key to repairing the TK may be the possible of 2026, erstwhile 1 of the judges appointed by the Law and Justices leaves office. specified a minute could enable the ruling coalition to get the majority and reconstruct constitutional order. In his view, the failure to grant funds for the current composition of the Court is simply a legitimate form of force to continue.

Cabinet Council Kulisy: ‘Time loss’

Żurek spares no criticism of the first Cabinet Council under the leadership of Nawrocki, identifying her as "a waste of time".According to the Minister, the gathering was an election run and the President's experts tried to question ministers, focusing mainly on budgetary and taxation issues. "It was an effort to criticize the government but completely failed" – Żurek evaluates, adding that he did not feel questioned due to the fact that no questions were asked to him.

Government versus Palace. Will the beetle do his job?

Waldemar Żurek draws a image of a politician and a lawyer determined by extremist changes in Polish judiciary and prosecution. His confrontational approach to Nawrocki, plans to improvement the KRS without a bill, and the announcement of the “reflection” of the prosecution at the hands of Ziobra's people indicate an ambitious but hard mission. It will be crucial to gain the support of the ruling coalition and to effectively circumvent the President's expected veto. Can Żurek win in fulfilling his imagination to reconstruct the regulation of law? Time will tell, but the minister already announces that he will not back distant from any challenge.

Risks and limitations: a test of real power

Although Żurek's declarations are firm, political reality can rapidly verify them. Inside the ruling coalition itself, there is no deficiency of skeptical voices towards actions without legal bases – especially on the part of the PSL, which traditionally advocates a more conclusive approach. In addition, there is an unpredictable attitude of president Nawrocki, who already announces that he will not accept any appointment of judges breaking – in his opinion – the constitutional order.

It is besides unclear how the public will respond – whether it will take Żurek's action as a essential reintroduction of the regulation of law or as an effort at political revenge. Finally, any action by the Minister may be challenged and challenged by the current judicial institutions, which makes his mission not only risky but highly complex. The opposition, headed by the Law and Justice Office, already announces a complaint against all step of the minister, which may further complicate his plans.

DF, thefad.pl / Source: Onet