We have information on new types of pyrotechnic materials, says parliament speaker

On Monday, in Rzeszów, Speaker Hołownia, together with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, met with soldiers of the 21st Podhale Rifles Brigade. Later, they spoke with reporters.

A cargo plane crashed on Monday near the airport in Vilnius. Speaker Hołownia acknowledged that Polish authorities were in contact with Lithuanian officials, who were providing updates on the accident.

"Our Lithuanian partners have done a lot to enhance their security procedures, so I expect we will soon have information about what actually happened - whether it was an unfortunate accident or if someone may have intentionally contributed to it," said Hołownia.

He assured that Polish services were working to improve security procedures in response to new threats. "A few months ago, we received information from our Czech partners, through the Chancellery of the Sejm, about new types of pyrotechnic materials that can be smuggled in ways that are undetectable by our known systems and only ignite or explode inside buildings," Hołownia added.

"We immediately shared this knowledge with our other partners and implemented the necessary procedures. If the Russians - speaking quite frankly - are trying something in one place within NATO territory, they will most likely attempt it elsewhere. That is why, last week, we held a conference in the Sejm with the heads of the Chancellery of the Sejm and parliaments from several countries we cooperate with most closely. The Chancellery heads exchanged experiences on threats and various provocations we are currently facing, so that we could align our actions in ensuring the security of central government offices," added Hołownia.

The Speaker of the Sejm also mentioned that the "indicator of intervention from Belarus using unmanned aerial vehicles" remained concerning. "Here in the Sejm, we are also considering how to be prepared, for example, for the potential penetration of the Sejm or the Chancellery of the Sejm by unmanned aerial vehicles," he added.

"We are currently conducting the largest passive and active security checks in the building and procedures in 35 years - everything related to lawmaking, but also decision-making. And remember, in the case of a 'W' situation, the Sejm extends states of emergency and must be ready to function under very different circumstances," said Hołownia.

Hołownia, who has recently announced his candidacy in the presidential election, was asked on Monday about the candidacy of Karol Nawrocki, the president of the Institute of National Remembrance (IPN). Nawrocki was nominated by the Law and Justice Party (PiS) as their candidate in the presidential race on Sunday.

"It's hard to assess him, because no one knows him," Hołownia emphasized. "Once we get to know him, we will be able to comment on this. We don't know what he represents, or what his level of dependency on Jarosław Kaczyński is. I suspect it is significant," said the Speaker of the Sejm.

Referring to the upcoming election campaign, Hołownia stated that it would be "a campaign between several very distinct individuals." "I'm curious to see how it unfolds. Right now, it doesn't keep me up at night. I'm doing my thing, fulfilling my duties. We'll start on January 8th and see where we stand," he added.

"We already know that there is a candidate from Donald Tusk and Jarosław Kaczyński. I believe that what Poland really needs is something different, and that's why I'm running in this election," said Hołownia. He also warned that there would likely be another attempt to frame the political landscape in a way that only PO (Civic Platform) or PiS matter, further fueling the polarizing race.