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Poland braces for tense week after deadly shooting deepens political divisions
A deadly shooting in Krakow has heightened unease in Poland as the country enters a politically charged week. The attack has also intensified debate over far-right extremism and the risk that political polarisation could deepen further.
Six people, including two foreign nationals, were killed and about 15 wounded when a gunman opened fire in the city’s historic market square on Saturday. Police said the suspect died in hospital on Monday; prosecutors are investigating the shooting as a possible act of terrorism, and the bodies of his parents and sister were found at their home. Meanwhile, a Constitutional Tribunal meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday’s Independence March are raising concerns about protests and possible clashes, amid a dispute between the government and its opponents over judicial appointments.
In short
- Six people were killed in Krakow’s deadliest shooting in decades.
- Prosecutors are investigating a possible act of terrorism.
- Poland faces a tense week over court appointments and protests.
Explained simply
Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal rules on whether laws comply with the constitution. Disagreements over how its judges are appointed have become part of a wider dispute between the government and its opponents about the independence of the courts and the limits of political power.
Independence Day, marked on 11 November, includes a march in Warsaw that has drawn nationalist and far-right groups in past years. The shooting has renewed attention to political violence and extremism in a country where arguments over national identity and government have become sharply divided.