President of Poland Andrzej Duda responded immediately to a statement made by Speaker of the Sejm Szymon Hołownia regarding pressure placed on him to participate in a coup d’état. That same evening, the President instructed the head of the Presidential Chancellery to contact Hołownia. The two politicians are expected to meet before August 6.
On Friday, Speaker of the Sejm Szymon Hołownia confirmed media reports that he had been pressured to take part in a coup. “On multiple occasions, it was proposed or suggested to me whether I would be willing to carry out a coup d’état,” he said on Polsat News. He added that these suggestions involved blocking or delaying the swearing-in ceremony of President-elect Karol Nawrocki. Hołownia stressed that he firmly rejected such proposals.
On Saturday afternoon, Hołownia took to his private Facebook account to clarify what he meant when referring to a “coup d’état.”
“I see there’s a need, so let me clarify that I used the phrase ‘coup d’état’ in yesterday’s Gość Wydarzeń—just as I have done many times before—not in the legal sense, which was clearly stated during the interview, but rather as a political diagnosis, a description of a situation involving serious destabilization of the state and undermining of democratic principles,” Hołownia wrote.
The President Responds
Immediately following Hołownia’s appearance on Polsat News, President Andrzej Duda took action, instructing the head of the Presidential Chancellery to establish contact with the Speaker of the Sejm.
“He tasked me with discussing the matter, primarily due to the president’s role. Guaranteeing continuity of power is, for obvious reasons, a key element,” said Małgorzata Paprocka on Polsat News.
During the conversation, Hołownia reportedly assured that the National Assembly would convene on August 6 and that President-elect Karol Nawrocki would be sworn in on that day.
The Speaker is also said to have referred to points raised in his short Saturday statement.
“The President and the Speaker of the Sejm agreed to meet on Thursday, when the head of state was presenting nominations to new ministers in Donald Tusk’s government. The meeting was scheduled for early August due to Hołownia’s prior commitments, which places it in the final days of President Duda’s term. There are many topics to discuss, and ensuring a smooth transfer of power will be fundamental,”
Paprocka stated.