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.

Since returning to office in 2023, the centre-right Tusk has sought to unwind those judicial changes , but his agenda has been frustrated by opposition-aligned presidents with extensive veto powers .…