“Tonight it is expected that the barriers around the Sejm will be removed, even though they have already been unlocked and taken down by the police,” stated Szymon Hołownia, the newly elected chairman of the Sejm, during a press conference at the seat of the Sejm’s lower house in Poland.
READ ALSO: Hołownia becomes Sejm chairman. The mood among Tusk’s bloc and the opposition, the response of Marshal Elżbieta Witek, and the voting results are covered elsewhere.
Hołownia announces the removal of the barriers
During the briefing, Hołownia underscored that the Sejm would be accessible to journalists, ordinary citizens, and civil society organizations.
He noted that conversations had taken place with Agnieszka Kaczmarska, head of the Sejm Chancellery, and with the commander of the Marshal Guard. They contacted the police and a formal letter was prepared for the Warsaw police. The expectation was that tonight the barriers around the Sejm would disappear from the perimeter, even though they were already unlocked and dismantled by police. The process was set to begin shortly.
When asked by journalists about liberalizing abortion-related proposals announced by the left, the chairman replied that such matters could be addressed “at the time of forming the Sejm committees.”
Without a committee, bills cannot be processed. He expressed hope that parliamentary committees would be appointed quickly and that, then, under proper procedures and after the necessary checks, all projects meeting the legal requirements would progress without delay.
— he concluded.
Why were barriers placed in front of the Sejm?
It is worth recalling why barriers appeared around the Sejm building in the first place. This followed events on December 16, 2016, when opposition politicians entered the plenary hall and protests began outside the parliament, organized by groups including KOD. Opponents of the government were seen as behaving aggressively, and provocative scenes occurred.
The Sejm was cordoned off with barriers again in autumn 2020 during demonstrations linked to the “Women’s Strike” following a Constitutional Court ruling on abortion.
“The Sejm is ours!”
While Hołownia indicated during the briefing and in earlier remarks that the barriers were “unsecured and dismantled by the police,” footage and onlookers suggested that many protesters helped remove them. Among those gathered in front of the Sejm were ordinary citizens, groups advocating for diverse political views, and individuals featured in photos and videos across social media channels, including a Seicento driver named Sebastian Kołćielnik, who commented on social platforms about the scene.
People took action to remove the barriers around the Sejm, Kołćielnik announced on X (formerly Twitter).
“The Sejm is ours!” echoed among the crowd of Polish citizens who were present that day. Some online commenters described the event as spontaneous, and it appeared to reflect broader anti-government sentiment among many participants in street protests, though interpretations varied.
Comments from observers and commentators highlighted the spontaneous nature of the moment, with some noting that the gathering included diverse voices and viewpoints as democracy was demonstrated through visible civic engagement.
Media coverage noted remarks by journalist Maciej Zemła and statements from political figures, including Sławomir Nitras, about commemorating the moment and its symbolism for the Sejm’s future operations.
As the newly elected Sejm began its term with a democratic majority, discussions arose about returning the Sejm to an open and barrier-free state, reflecting a shift in how the chamber would operate moving forward.
Source reporting on the event reflects multiple outlets and perspectives, with ongoing analyses of the Sejm’s procedures and the implications for legislative work.
Source notes on the event are attributed to various media outlets and public statements, reflecting the evolving narrative surrounding the Sejm’s accessibility and the political climate at the time.