It appears that a situational, temporary removal of the Speaker of the Sejm—intended to obstruct or delay the convening of the National Assembly for the swearing-in of the new president—is still being considered as a “last resort,” warned Constitutional Tribunal judge Krystyna Pawłowicz in a social media post.
Her comment comes in the wake of Friday’s dramatic revelations by Speaker of the Sejm, Szymon Hołownia, who confirmed media reports suggesting he had been pressured to take part in a coup d’état.
“Numerous times, I was offered or asked whether I would be willing to carry out a coup d’état,” Hołownia said in a televised interview with Polsat News. He clarified that the suggestions involved blocking or delaying the swearing-in ceremony of president-elect Karol Nawrocki. Hołownia emphasized that he unequivocally rejected all such proposals.
Tusk Responds
Prime Minister Donald Tusk responded to Hołownia’s comments during a public meeting in the city of Pabianice on Saturday.
“There were some initial signals suggesting irregularities. I received a very clear message from Speaker Hołownia: ‘Whatever you people come up with, I will still convene the National Assembly and carry out the swearing-in of President Nawrocki.’ That’s basically the end of the discussion. I am not the Speaker of the Sejm—I do not convene the National Assembly,”
Tusk said.
His remarks, however, sparked a flurry of commentary online. Some interpreted Tusk’s words as confirming that pressure had indeed been placed on the Speaker.
Hołownia Clarifies “Coup” Remark
Later on Saturday, Hołownia took to his personal Facebook page to clarify what he meant when he spoke of a “coup.”
“I see there is a need for clarification. When I used the phrase ‘coup d’état’ during yesterday’s interview on Gość Wydarzeń, as I have many times before, it was not in a legal sense—as was clearly stated during the conversation—but as a political diagnosis. It described a situation in which the principles of democracy are undermined and the state is seriously destabilized,”
he wrote.
Judge: A Coup Isn’t Just Tanks on the Streets
Supreme Court judge Professor Kamil Zaradkiewicz echoed Hołownia’s concerns, stressing that:
“A coup isn’t just about tanks in the streets. It’s clear that urging someone to prevent the president-elect from assuming office—by stopping him from fulfilling the constitutional requirement on the legally designated date (August 6)—meets the definition of incitement to a coup d’état under the Criminal Code. Whether it’s a coup or not is not determined by the person being pressured, but by the appropriate legal authorities and courts,”
Zaradkiewicz stated.
Pawłowicz: One Last Maneuver Left?
Returning to Judge Pawłowicz’s warning, she suggested that the ruling coalition may still attempt a final procedural maneuver to prevent the inauguration.
“It looks like the idea of temporarily removing the Speaker—specifically for the purpose of convening or not convening the National Assembly—is still being considered as a ‘last resort,’”
she wrote.