President Andrzej Duda may have hoped to derail the plan, but that assessment does not align with the current reality. The governing bloc signaled it could resubmit the draft budget bill while also weaving its elements into the budget framework, according to Tomasz Trela, deputy head of the Left Club. Adrian Zandberg also commented on the president’s veto and its potential political repercussions.
Trela indicated that MPs would likely discuss the presidential bill aimed at special measures for implementing the 2024 budget law, which had been submitted to the Sejm on the preceding Wednesday, during Thursday’s session of the Sejm Committee on Public Finance.
Late Saturday, President Duda vetoed the 2024 budget law, which included 3 billion PLN earmarked for public media. He insisted that the move was necessary due to a constitutional violation and the principles of a democratic constitutional state.
He announced plans to present his own legislative proposal after the holidays, including budgetary increases for teachers and other expenses contemplated in the initial budget law. The presidential bill had already been submitted to the Sejm on Wednesday.
PAP asked Tomasz Trela, deputy chairman of the Left Club and a member of the parliamentary committee for public finances, for his view on Duda’s veto and the presidential project. Trela suggested the president approached the issue selectively.
Trela noted that Finance Minister Andrzej Domański and Prime Minister Donald Tusk had stated that the funds would be blocked until detailed reports on the state of public media were provided, and that the money was treated as a security issue by the president.
According to Trela, the president’s arguments appear to be driven by political considerations rather than economic reasoning.
Trela also commented that the decision to veto before Christmas did not derail the plans of the left and that no final outcome had been reached.
Asked about the left’s stance during the vote on the presidential project, Trela remarked that it was uncertain whether the proposal would be part of the plenary agenda.
A Finance Commission meeting was planned for the following day, during which the draft 2024 budget would be reviewed, with discussions expected on the presidential draft. A Council of Ministers session was also set to address the same topic.
Trela explained that several routes existed for handling the budget law. One option was to resubmit it as a governing party bill; another involved incorporating elements of the presidential bill into the national budget framework. He emphasized that no final decision had been made, but that the issue would be addressed regardless of the president’s veto.
Another focal point of the discourse was the future of public media. Adrian Zandberg, the co-chair of Razem and a left-wing MP, asserted that public media should belong to everyone, not to the party currently in power. He urged the government, the Sejm, and the president to develop a new model for public media functioning in Poland.
In an interview with PAP, Zandberg stressed that the Sejm works at its own pace and that the Public Finance Commission would convene over the next two days. His priority was ensuring that wage increases for state workers become a reality in the coming weeks, viewing them as essential rather than political gestures.
Regarding the president’s initiative, Zandberg suggested it would not cause major shifts, describing its influence as largely technical. He expressed concern for workers awaiting pay raises, insisting that financial support should not be treated as a bargaining tool. The sentiment was that these funds compensate public sector workers for cost-of-living increases and inflation, and should not be politicized.
Zandberg also commented on the 3 billion PLN allocation for public media that had not been included in the draft budget. He argued that while public media are necessary in Poland, funding them from the state budget should be universal rather than tied to any single party control. Public media, he said, must reflect the breadth of civil society, including trade unions and climate movements, and give space to grassroots organizations so public discourse remains meaningful and not reduced to partisan messaging.
He reiterated that the government, the Sejm, and the president should chart a new course for public media in Poland, viewing the post-2015 period as a turning point characterized by bias from various administrations. He stressed the need for media independence and the inclusion of diverse voices in public broadcasting, not the amplification of a single political agenda.
President Duda’s appeal to the Sejm Speaker
On Wednesday, the presidential bill addressing special solutions for implementing the 2024 budget law was submitted to the Sejm. President Duda urged Speaker Szymon Hołownia to initiate legislative work promptly and to secure Sejm approval for the law on special solutions for the 2024 budget implementation.
In a covering letter to the Speaker, the president called for expediting consultation and for the government to present its position through Prime Minister Tusk. Hołownia stated that the presidential draft would be circulated for consideration and aligned with the schedule agreed upon by all political groups. The next Sejm session was scheduled for January 10–11, 2024, to address this matter.
The ensuing discussions were described as a crucial step in determining how the budget and related measures would proceed in the new year.