Polish power struggle: President and justice minister clash over state prosecutor dismissal

Poland's president and justice minister are locked in a bitter conflict over the dismissal of state prosecutor Dariusz Barski. Justice Minister Adam Bodnar, a key figure in rolling back the policies of the previous government, claims that Barski's appointment under the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) government was illegitimate. This conflict has caused friction in the new pro-European government, with President Andrzej Duda, an ally of PiS, condemning Bodnar's actions and the Constitutional Tribunal moving to block the dismissal.

The dismissal of Barski is seen as a crucial step in regaining the trust of the European Union, which has frozen billions of euros in funding over concerns about the rule of law in Poland. The new government's pledge to undo PiS's reforms has been met with resistance from PiS allies, leading to open conflict in the early weeks of the new government's term.

Bodnar has expressed his desire for the new state prosecutor to be someone with absolute authority and respect from all legal circles, while President Duda argues that the minister lacks the authority to unilaterally dismiss Barski. This has caused a legal and political showdown, with the Constitutional Tribunal intervening to prevent the dismissal and setting the stage for further conflict between the new government and PiS loyalists in the judiciary system.