“Here comes a man— not only a post-communist, but one backed by 20,000 votes—telling a man who received 10.5 million votes in a direct election that he will use a veto he does not have,” President Karol Nawrocki said, commenting on the dispute with Sejm Speaker Włodzimierz Czarzasty and pointing to what he described as the absurdity of the current political arrangement.
President Karol Nawrocki spoke in sharp terms about the stance of Sejm Speaker Włodzimierz Czarzasty, highlighting what he sees as the absurdity of today’s political order. Nawrocki drew attention to the stark disproportion between actual public support and the position currently held by one of the leaders of the Left.
“Today, the second most important person in the state—of course, in accordance with the strict rules of Polish democracy—is a post-communist, a man who received 20,000 votes,” the president emphasized. He added that Czarzasty “lost to a candidate from his own list, running from the last position,” yet nevertheless—through coalition arrangements—found himself at the very top of the legislative branch.
The president stressed that he does not question the formal rules of democracy, but at the same time pointed to a growing sense of injustice among citizens. “Ordinary Poles, people like me and like many of you, probably have the feeling that there is a certain absurdity here,” he stated.
To recall: the dispute between Włodzimierz Czarzasty and President Karol Nawrocki concerns primarily the scope of the head of state’s powers and attempts at political pressure on the Presidential Palace. The current Sejm Speaker has publicly announced that he would block or “veto” presidential initiatives in the legislative process, even though the constitution does not grant him such authority.
Karol Nawrocki referred to this situation during a meeting at the Presidential Palace, where the main topic was the book by former president Andrzej Duda, To ja (“It’s Me”).
“Here comes a man—not only a post-communist, but one backed by 20,000 votes—and he tells a man who has 10.5 million votes from a direct election that he will use a veto he does not have against his legislative initiative,” Nawrocki said.
In the president’s assessment, this absurdity clearly demonstrates the purpose of the office of head of state.
“This shows why the presidency exists—so that the nation has a voice and can judge such behavior as that of today’s Speaker,” he concluded.