Hołownia: president assured me that all constitutional processes would go smoothly

Hołownia arrived at the Presidential Palace on Friday morning together with the new chief of the Sejm Chancellery Jacek Cichocki. The meeting with President Andrzej Duda lasted 90 minutes.

"We discussed plenty of topics, we mentioned many issues," Hołownia said at a press conference after the meeting with the president.

"The president assured he would observe all constitutional dates related to forming of a new Polish government and that he would carry out all duties the constutition assigns to the president of Poland without any delay, and that those processes would go quickly and smoothly, with a sense of responsibility for the state," he added.

"Apart from that we discussed matter related with the geopolitical situation of our country. The president spoke about a draft bill that he should soon submit in the Sejm - a bill regulating actions of state authorities in case of external danger."

The speaker also said that he and the president had discussed international politics, including tasks related with meetings with hosting state leaders. "We've agreed mechanisms of discussion and coordination because, naturally, I will have to coordinate my actions with the Polish government and the president too," he explained.

Hołownia stressed that the crucial takeaway for him was the president's reassurance he would act in line with the constitution, without delays, and "without any politically motivated surprises".

Answering questions from reporters, Hołownia said he would not expect "any obstruction" on the president's part once the democratic opposition has taken over power.

"I think the president is a pragmatist, a realist. He has a very clear area in which he is absolutely unrelenting. This is the area of nominating judges. We will certainly hold long disputes over this, on how to heal this situation," he said. "It seems, however, that there is room for discussion over other issues."

"I don't believe in what the president believes when it comes to Mateusz Morawiecki's chances to form a majority," Hołownia added.

He also said he had heard about "Mateusz Morawiecki's incredible plans to create a cross-party government". "I consider it all fairy tales of moss and fern," the speaker said, adding that the time for negotiations of this kind had already passed. "You should have asked before the election, and not now when you're clutching at straws".

The head of the president's office Grażyna Ignaczak-Bandych informed that during the meeting with Hołownia the president had underscored "full readiness to cooperate with the newly elected parliament in all crucial matters for Poland".

"At the same time, the President expressed regret due to a lack of a representative of the largest parliamentary club in the Presidium of the Sejm, which is a situation non-compliant with democratic standards," she added.

Ignaczak-Bandych also informed that the president had given speaker Hołownia a project of a strategic bill that regulates actions of state authorities in case of external danger, and which reforms the system of command of the Polish Armed Forces.

"The President assured that all constitutional dates related to the forming of government are, and will be, observed," we read.