Radosław Sikorskiwicepremier, minister spraw zagranicznych · Koalicja Obywatelska2026-10-31 · Wypowiedź dla mediów, relacja na żywo WP (wpis z godz. 17:32)

Statement

„The President is physically stronger than the lady judge, and he showed it.”

Claim checked: The President used physical force against a Constitutional Tribunal judge.

Verdict: Partly true

What we found

Independent sources confirm that physical contact took place. Notes from Poland describes videos published by Tribunal judge Maciej Berek: the president "could be seen pushing his way past" judge Anna Korwin-Piotrowska. The judge herself told TVN24 that the president "started pushing me aside with his hands". Polskie Radio 24 writes of a "physical clash". The statement, however, implies deliberate use of force, and that is disputed: Berek, a judge elected by the current Sejm and a party to the dispute, writes of a "physical attack", while presidential spokesman Rafał Leśkiewicz accuses the judges of violating the head of state's inviolability. No prosecutor or court has assessed the incident. Intent cannot be determined unambiguously from the footage available.

Method note

The physical contact is documented, but the statement goes further by implying deliberate use of force, hence the proposed "Partly true". Both sides describe the incident differently, and the legal assessment belongs to prosecutors and courts.

Sources

• Where it was said
• Notes from Poland: prezydent w fizycznej konfrontacji z sędziami (31.10.2026)
• TVN24: sędzia Korwin-Piotrowska o wejściu prezydenta do TK (31.10.2026)
• TVN24: relacja sędziego Berka i reakcja rzecznika prezydenta (31.10.2026)
• Polskie Radio 24: opis starcia przed TK (31.10.2026)

We rate statements, not people. Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland, CC BY 3.0 PL, Wikimedia Commons.