A source close to Law and Justice (PiS), when asked whether the party plans to once again nominate its own candidate for Deputy Speaker of the Sejm in light of the announced changes in the Presidium and the Speaker’s position, replied: “If we propose someone for the position of Deputy Speaker of the Sejm, it will be the former Speaker, Deputy Chairwoman of PiS, Elżbieta Witek.” Is that possible?
Szymon Hołownia, Speaker of the Sejm and leader of the Polska 2050 Party, recently announced that he will resign from his position on November 13. The election of his successor is scheduled for November 19. As he explained, the matter has already been discussed with Włodzimierz Czarzasty, Co-chairman of the New Left and current Deputy Speaker of the Sejm.
According to coalition agreements, Czarzasty is set to assume the position of Speaker of the Sejm during the second half of the parliamentary term. Hołownia also declared that after stepping down, he would seek a place in the Sejm Presidium as Deputy Speaker. However, he emphasized that “he approaches this with great humility, because he knows that parliamentary votes can be unpredictable.”
Law and Justice will not change its candidate
A source within Law and Justice told the Polish Press Agency that the party does not intend to change its candidate for Deputy Speaker and that Elżbieta Witek will remain its nominee. “If we propose someone, it will be Speaker Witek. We are not changing that,” the source stressed. According to the PiS politician, the further course of events depends on Hołownia’s decision. “He made a declaration, but the situation is dynamic,” he noted, adding that the key issue is “whether Speaker Hołownia steps down or not.”
When asked whether Witek’s candidacy depends on who becomes the new Speaker, the Polish Press Agency’s interlocutor expressed the view that PiS may not even get the chance to formally submit its proposal. “I assume they will do as they have done so far – they will exclude our candidate. We’ll see what happens. This is an internal matter of the governing coalition. We have no influence over it,” he said.
It is worth recalling that in November 2023, at the beginning of the 10th term of the Sejm, five Deputy Speakers were elected: Monika Wielichowska and Dorota Niedziela (Civic Coalition), Włodzimierz Czarzasty (New Left), Krzysztof Bosak (Confederation), and Piotr Zgorzelski (Third Way). Elżbieta Witek, former Speaker of the Sejm representing PiS (2019–2023), failed to secure sufficient support at that time, leaving the largest parliamentary group – currently numbering 188 deputies – without representation in the Sejm Presidium.