Polish police on Tuesday arrested two politicians convicted of abuse of power who had taken refuge for hours in the palace of President Andrzej Duda, in a dramatic escalation of a standoff between the new and previous governments.
Duda welcomed the members of the former ruling party into the presidential palace as police went to their homes to arrest them.
The events escalated a dispute between the new government, led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk, and the conservative Law and Justice party that governed Poland for eight years until last month following its defeat in a general election in October.
Duda is closely aligned with Law and Justice and is making it clear that he will oppose Tusk’s agenda. Duda’s second and final term runs until mid-2025.
