President Karol Nawrocki has announced that he will not confirm the expiration of the terms of office of the members of the National Broadcasting Council (KRRiT). This firm decision by the head of state is a direct response to the actions of the Sejm and Senate, which earlier rejected the Council’s annual report. The president’s move effectively blocks an attempt to prematurely end the mandate of a constitutional body responsible for safeguarding freedom of speech.
On Wednesday evening, the Head of the Presidential Chancellery, Zbigniew Bogucki, published President Nawrocki’s official statement on the X platform.
The decision is a direct reaction to resolutions adopted earlier by the Sejm (on June 25, 2025) and the Senate (on September 25, 2025) rejecting the National Broadcasting Council’s report on its activities in 2024.
In his statement, the president left no doubt as to his opinion of the parliament’s actions:
“After reviewing the resolution of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland of June 25, 2025, regarding the National Broadcasting Council’s report on its activities in 2024 (M.P. item 646), as well as the resolution of the Senate of the Republic of Poland of September 25, 2025, regarding the same report (M.P. item 1022), and after analyzing the reasoning presented by both chambers to justify their rejection of the report, I hereby declare that I categorically disagree with the arguments contained in these resolutions. Therefore, I do not confirm the expiration of the terms of office of the members of the National Broadcasting Council,” wrote President Nawrocki.
A Constitutional Safeguard in the President’s Hands
Under the Broadcasting and Television Act, the rejection of the KRRiT report by both houses of parliament triggers a procedure that could lead to the expiration of all Council members’ terms within 14 days. However, the decisive step in this process rests with the President of the Republic.
The law explicitly states that the expiration of the Council’s term does not occur unless it is confirmed by the president.
President Nawrocki’s decision therefore makes use of a constitutional and statutory safeguard designed to protect the Council’s independence from political pressure exerted by the parliamentary majority.
The Political Background of the Attack on the Council
Political commentators have been warning for months that the rejection of the KRRiT’s report might serve as a pretext for an attempted power grab by the ruling majority. The Senate’s justification for rejecting the report included a lengthy list of allegations—among them claims of “illegally depriving public media” of license-fee revenues and “bias” in imposing fines on broadcasters.
However, these actions have been widely interpreted as an effort to exert pressure on an independent state institution.