The tenth term of the Sejm has a clear focal point: the Marshal. Yet Szymon Hołownia did not step into the role as a natural showman. What does he think? And who is pulling the strings behind him? There are strong indications, as noted by Stanisław Janecki in the latest issue of Sieci, that Hołownia did not rise to this political prominence solely on his own; he may have been steered and promoted by business circles and individuals connected to the secret and uniformed services. The public evidence suggests a desire for a television personality, a mass culture hero, to anchor a political project.
New articles from this issue are available by subscription via Networking of friends.
“Hołownia masks”
Stanisław Janecki offers an analysis of Hołownia’s trajectory into a leadership role in Polish politics. He argues that the current Sejm chair describes politics as theater and labels others for theatrics, while he himself also acts in a performative manner. The journalist explains:
When the chair position is treated as a drama, everything becomes a game, every action feels conventional, and there is no clear division of roles. Yet this dynamic can turn the Speaker of the Sejm into a puppet in the hands of others, a dangerous outcome for democratic processes.
Janecki adds:
When a bill from a coalition of KO and Polski 2050 MPs regarding further energy price freezes is presented, questions arise about whether the measure contains concessions that favor interest groups backing the energy sector. Hołownia is mentioned in this context. The law could include provisions such as permitting the construction of the quietest wind farms at distances as close as 300 meters from single-family homes, farms, national parks and nature reserves, and at 400 meters for multi-family housing and hospitals (currently 700 meters).
The Sieci columnist also references the politician’s distinctive language:
Left-liberal circles admire Hołownia’s performance as Sejm chair, particularly his speech style. Years of work in television and show business, potentially reinforced by NLP training, appear to have shaped a politician who speaks like a television host, adopting the cadence of American television preachers and infused with social media slang and teenage jargon. The aim, it seems, is to reach a broad audience.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJdzPcHCCMVo
“I will be happy to appear before such a committee.”
In an interview with Jacek Karnowski, Janusz Cieszyński, former Deputy Minister of Health and former Minister of Digitalization, discusses the handling of correspondence elections and notes how the government consulted many experts. He stresses that some political circles have inflamed public sentiment unnecessarily.
If there is resentment, it should be directed at those who did not uphold medical ethics while in politics. Professor Tomasz Grodzki’s reference to “killer envelopes” is cited as an example of misused authority in public life, a move that should disqualify such behavior from both political and medical spheres, according to a PiS parliamentarian.
Cieszyński outlines a vision for sustainable digitalization, arguing that progress is gradual and balanced.
During the PiS era, digitalization did not proceed in a fully integrated way. Electronic prescriptions exist, yet doctors can still issue paper prescriptions if online access is limited. Tax returns are increasingly filed online, but a substantial number still arrives on paper each year. Five million ID cards are in the mObywatel app, but plastic documents remain in use. This measured approach reflects a cautious adoption of digital tools toward a future where technology and tradition can coexist.
– explains Janusz Cieszyński.
“We won against the influence agency.”
Marek Pyza and Marcin Wikło recount in the piece We won with an influence agency the closure of criminal proceedings brought by figures associated with the Open Dialogue Foundation. The journalists describe these cases as attempts to silence critical reporting and to intimidate others with substantial damages for alleged defamation. They assert that the court found the article truthful in its factual presentation and justified in its conclusions, arguing that the public deserved clarity about the origin and funding of the organization and the individuals tied to it.
Pyza and Wikło recall their work from 2017, when Bartosz Kramek published a manifesto on the foundation’s site proposing activities that did not fit the public debate’s norms. The piece also notes that Lyudmyla Kozlovska has been placed on the Schengen Information System by the Internal Security Service due to security concerns, effectively banning her across the EU.
They explain:
While researching, they followed the money trail and uncovered connections to Silk Road, a company linked to Kramek. The investigation revealed a network tied to offshore entities, raising suspicions of money laundering in the funding streams behind certain activities.
What else is in “Network”?
The issue also features Konrad Kołodziejski with There will be no honeymoon, Jan Rokita with War of trucks, Goran Andrijanić with A beautiful mind, Marek Budzisz with The glue of Russia’s future will be war, Aleksandra Rybińska with Dutch Trump comes for power, Dariusz Matuszak with If you don’t know what it’s about, it’s about power, and Maciej Walaszczyk with The apocalypse that doesn’t come.
Interviews include Dorota Łosiewicz with Łukasz Litewka, MP of the New Left, Parents will not be ashamed of me; Jakub Augustyn Maciejewski with Prof. Ryszard Legutka, a philosopher and PiS MEP; and Małgorzata Wołczak with Jesús Lainz, a Spanish lawyer and regular Libertad Digital columnist, who discuss Separatism as the revolution of the rich.
The weekly also carries commentary on current events from Krzysztof Feusette, Dorota Łosiewicz, Bronisław Wildstein, Andrzej Rafał Potocki, Marta Kaczyńska-Zielińska, Samuel Pereira, Alina Czerniakowska, and Katarzyna Zybertowicz.
Additional material in the new Sieci issue includes discussions and insights, with forthcoming online access available on December 4 of the current year through the Friends Network subscription. The publication also invites viewers to watch the wPolsce.pl broadcast.
Source: wPolityce