New Sejm speaker announces national address and sanation of judiciary council

Sejm speaker Szymon Hołownia announced on Tuesday he would deliver an address to the nation sometime this week.

"Hopefully, this speech will not be addressed only to the viewers of the Polish Television (TVP - Poland's public broadcaster). I have the utmost respect for them, but please allow me to also reach out to other Polish men and women who have elected this Sejm, the speaker of which I have had the honor to become yesterday," he said.

"This is a moment in which it would be good to introduce oneself and say what we would like to do and why, and what kind of changes are to be expected," Hołownia added.

"I don't really have a problem with speaking with people, and so I would like communicate with voters and tell them a few important things, answers to which I will hear later in the media and during meetings which I should have plenty of."

Hołownia announced that the Sejm session would be resumed next Tuesday (Nov. 21) at noon.

He explained that a number of dates have been scheduled for MPs to submit further candidates for various state functions. "Today at the presidium (of the Sejm), which will take place before the Sejm session, we shall add more of those dates so that the next session could elect the Tribunal of the State, a member of the State Commission Against Pedophilia, and work on Sejm committees," the speaker said.

"There's a lot of these things, but we've managed to go ahead with the Presidium in unity. Those will be busy voting sessions," he stressed.

"It would be best if the next part of this session was held next Tuesday. And that's what we've initially agreed with the Sejm Presidium and the Council of Seniors."

The speaker added he hoped a majority of Sejm committees would be ready to work by next week. "We really need those committees. First bills are already coming in," Hołownia said, adding that the chamber would proceed said bills in standard mode.

"We've restored democratic standards the Sejm has not seen for quite some time. Representatives of all parliamentary groupings have a guaranteed seat in the Sejm presidium. This wasn't a standard in previous years," Hołownia said, referring to the elected deputy speakers of the Sejm.

"Of course, as you all well know, it happened so that one of the candidate, Ms. Elżbieta Witek of PiS was not approved by the chamber for the function of deputy speaker. We understand that it was the chamber's assessment, to which it is entitled," he added.

"I'd be delighted if the composition of the presidium is completed. The presidium could then work in a complete panel with representatives of all parliamentary groupings."

"We have to grant the MPs an autonomy to decide whom they wish to work with in the role of deputy speaker, and whom not. This is an inherent competency and any kind of political revenge is out of the question here," Hołownia reassured.

The speaker also promised that efforts aimed at "sanation" of the Constitutional Tribunal and choosing members of the National Council of the Judiciary would soon be launched.

"The freezer is going out of the speaker's office. I wasn't joking yesterday, it's going to happen. If there's a bill that meets requirements, it should be proceeded by the Sejm," Hołownia promised.

The new speaker also reassured that communication with journalists would also change. "We're introducing a certain new standard of speaking with you (journalists - edit.) and informing you about the course of parliamentary work, so that you won't have to read between the lines or chase after anyone. I've just learned from one of the reporters there was a curtain in the speakers' corridor ... This curtain is a complete absurdity," he said.

Szymon Hołownia was also asked by reporters if the lower house was planning to adopt a resolution deeming the so-called neo-KRS "an illegal institution".

"I'm a fervent supporter of a fact-based method of action rather than ringing declarations. I hope we are able to bring about sanation of the KRS rather than pass ringing resolutions about the KRS being ill," he said.

"It's about the legality of the status of the judges who sign divorce certificates, who settle inheritance disputes, or business issues. We have the right to be certain that these judges issued these rulings legally and if they are legal judges themselves," the new speaker added.

"However, I haven't heard about such a resolution and, as of today, I probably won't support it," Hołownia said.

"We shall deal with it very soon, but this is a matter that will require coordination between political groupings as well as the new justice minister. Consultations and arrangements in that regard are being made as we speak. We're wondering how to carry out this process quickly and swiftly," he said, adding that "it won't happen in five minutes or in two weeks".