I hear speculation that there might be a snap election. I don't see such possibility at all - Poland's President Andrzej Duda said on Thursday (Jan. 18) in Davos. "I hope I will be able to easily sign this budget. I would like for the government to be able to carry out the budget responsibly," he added.
According to the Polish constitution, the president can call a snap election in case of not receiving a budget bill to approve within 4 months since the day of a draft bill's submission in the parliament.
President Andrzej Duda was asked at a press conference in Davos on Thursday if he was planning to refer the budget bill for 2024, adopted earlier that day by the Polish parliament, to the Constitutional Tribunal for further consideration. "The budget bill is first and foremost the government's responsibility, and that's one of the reasons why the constitution does not allow a presidential veto," he replied.
"Indeed the only question the president can and should consider is the question of whether the government and parliament's actions regarding the budget are in line with the constitution, that is if the budget is in line with the constitution and so is the procedure under which this budget is adopted," the president noted.
"I hope I will be able to easily sign this budget. I would like for the government to be able to carry out the budget responsibly," he added.
Duda informed that once the bill has been sent over to him, it "will undergo a full constitutional analysis, both substantive and procedural". "But this will be the only aspect of our analysis."
"I also want to say it loud and clear that I'm hearing some speculation that there might be a snap election. I don't see such possibility at all," the president stated. "If the budget is accepted, even sending the budget to the Constitutional Tribunal absolutely does not result in any earlier election," he reassured.
The Sejm, which is the lower chamber of the Polish parliament, passed the 2024 budget bill. According to the legislation, state revenues are planned at nearly 682.4 billion zlotys and expenditures at 866.4 billion.
The state budget deficit is to be no larger than 184 billion zlotys.
In Thursday's vote, 240 MPs were in favor of the bill, 191 were against, and 3 abstained.
"We didn't have too much time, but we managed to vote today, and we've got our budget," PM Donald Tusk said after the vote.
He added the government had strived to "redirect as much money as possible towards the needs of people, the needs of patients".
The budget bill will now be sent over to the upper house, the Senate.
Źródło: TVN24 News in English, PAP