Parliament speaker Szymon Hołownia to run for president

During a meeting in Jędrzejów, held as part of the "Let’s Meet Under One Flag" series, he emphasized his desire to be independent both as a candidate and as president.

"In January next year, I will be a candidate for the President of the Republic of Poland. I decided to run and chose to announce it here—in Jędrzejów," Hołownia stated.

Hołownia’s declaration comes exactly one year after he was elected Speaker of the Sejm.

The Sejm Speaker affirmed that his independence was central to his vision of the presidency. He noted that, while he founded the Polska 2050 movement and was active in the political arena, he would not be tied to any particular party in a way that would allow anyone to dictate his decisions.

"I don’t have, and I won’t have, any prime minister who will call me and tell me what to do when I’m president," he declared, stressing that freedom from party pressures was essential to him.

Hołownia emphasized that he wants to be "a president of the people, not of a political party." He added that the only banner he would stand under in his campaign is the Polish red-and-white flag, symbolizing his commitment to represent all citizens, regardless of political divisions.

He also promised that the elections would be scheduled at the earliest possible date, so that everyone could conduct a full, open campaign, without having to maneuver around whether it’s "pre-campaign" or not.

"It doesn’t make sense otherwise," he added. "Everyone will know exactly when the elections will take place, and there won’t be any last-minute cancellations on election day."

He previously ran for president in the 2020 election, where he received nearly 14% of the vote in the first round. He placed third, following Andrzej Duda and Rafał Trzaskowski, and ahead of candidates such as Krzysztof Bosak, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, and Robert Biedroń.

So far, the following candidates have announced their intention to run in the upcoming presidential election set for next spring. MP Marek Jakubiak, from the parliamentary circle Free Republicans (Wolni Republikanie), has confirmed his candidacy, as has Sławomir Mentzen, president of the New Hope party, representing the Confederation.

The Civic Coalition's candidate will be decided through a primary election in which Warsaw's Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski will compete against the Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski. The primary election is likely to be held on November 23, following a decision by the Civic Platform’s (PO) national board on November 9, attended by leaders from coalition parties, including Modern, the Polish Initiative, and the Greens.

As for the Left (Lewica), the party’s candidate will likely be chosen between Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk, Minister of Family, Labor, and Social Policy, and Senate Deputy Marshal Magdalena Biejat. European Parliament Member Robert Biedroń, co-leader of Nowa Lewica, mentioned on TVN24 that this decision may come through either a primary or a selection process by the end of the year, with an announcement planned for early January.

Law and Justice (PiS) has yet to make a final decision on their candidate. Media reports suggest that possible contenders include IPN (Poland's Institute of National Remembrance) President Karol Nawrocki, MEP Tobiasz Bocheński (a former candidate for Warsaw mayor), former Education Minister Przemysław Czarnek, or former Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak.

Meanwhile, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, leader of the Polish People’s Party (PSL), Deputy Prime Minister, and Defense Minister, recently suggested the ruling coalition propose a joint presidential candidate. On November 7, Kosiniak-Kamysz stated that the coalition’s best chance to defeat a PiS candidate would be through a candidate who can bridge various political groups, suggesting Szymon Hołownia as such a candidate.

At the end of October, Kosiniak-Kamysz proposed a joint candidate from the ruling coalition, urging collaboration with partners from Civic Platform, the Civic Coalition, Poland 2050, and the Left to choose a candidate together. He advocated for "more intensive dialogue" within the coalition to reach an agreement.

On that same day, Donald Tusk stated on X that each coalition member should nominate its own candidate.