Polish Sejm elects former cabinet minister Maciej Berek to Constitutional Tribunal with 226 votes

Parliamentary vote and legal credentials

The Sejm voted on Friday to appoint former minister Maciej Berek to the Constitutional Tribunal. In a ballot involving 437 members of parliament, Berek obtained 226 votes, exceeding the absolute majority threshold of 219 votes. His competitor, Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University professor Artur Kotowski, nominated by Law and Justice (PiS) for the seventh time, received 184 votes. Berek holds a doctorate in legal sciences, serves as an assistant professor of constitutional law at the University of Warsaw, and works as an expert for the National Council of Legal Advisers. His nomination by Civic Coalition (KO) lawmakers followed plenary debate and a review by the parliamentary justice and human rights committee.

Executive tenure and ministerial service

Berek entered the cabinet in December 2023 as a minister-member of the Council of Ministers and head of the Standing Committee. In March 2025, he was appointed to lead the government deregulation team at the prime minister's office. Following a cabinet reshuffle in July 2025, Berek became the minister for oversight of government policy implementation, tasked with supervising and evaluating the work of other ministers. Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced in mid-August 2026 that he had granted conditional approval for Berek to step down from ministerial duties to pursue the judicial vacancy. Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski defended the nomination during a press conference in Warsaw.

Maciej Berek was always a state official more than a politician. He was never a member of any party, and having worked with him many times, I can testify that he is a top-class specialist, a statesman, a person who always kept Poland's interest in view, not just that of a specific group, so I believe Maciej Berek would make an excellent Constitutional Tribunal judge.

Coalitional dissent and voting fractures

While the governing coalition supplied the majority of Berek's votes, several members broke party lines during the division. KO deputy Klaudia Jachira, Polska 2050 deputy Paweł Śliz, and Centrum deputy Rafał Komarewicz voted against Berek, arguing that moving directly from a ministerial office damages judicial independence. Sejm Speaker and Left party co-leader Włodzimierz Czarzasty also voted against both candidates, later telling reporters in parliament that the vote was an unintentional human error. KO deputy Franciszek Sterczewski abstained from the vote, drawing public criticism on social media from fellow party member Bartosz Arłukowicz. Three non-attached lawmakers, including Paulina Matysiak, Joanna Mucha, and Paweł Zalewski, voted in favour of Berek.

Once again it turned out that I am human. I have emotions, I know how to love, I can make a mistake. In this matter, I obviously made a mistake, but that only proves my deep humanity and that I have the right to make errors.

Opposition challenges over presidential oath

Opposition lawmakers from PiS and Rozwój Plus contested Berek's formal eligibility, questioning whether he fulfilled the statutory requirement of ten years actively practicing as a legal adviser. Presidential office chief Zbigniew Bogucki addressed the Sejm floor, stating the candidacy should not proceed because registration on a bar roll does not equate to active practice. In response, Berek published a certificate from the Warsaw regional bar chamber confirming his bar inscription in 2002 and continuous entitlement to practice. PiS leader Jarosław Kaczyński asserted that President Karol Nawrocki should refuse to administer the judicial oath to Berek. Former justice minister Marcin Warchoł submitted motions to the Constitutional Tribunal seeking interim measures against the election, citing conflicts regarding ministerial accountability.

In my conviction, in an obvious way, but also for these general reasons, because first of all he crosses directly from the government.