There is no guarantee that President Andrzej Duda will veto new laws passed by the new parliament. KO Senator-elect Adam Bodnar warned on TVN24 that the situation could resemble a political and legal chess match as lawmakers move forward.
When asked whether the president might block legislation backed by the parliamentary majority, Bodnar acknowledged that there is no guarantee of a veto-free path. The reality, he suggested, is that political decisions in this climate often require contingency planning and iterative steps.
He explained that ahead of any initiative there must be a readiness to adapt. If a bill faces a presidential veto, it may be revised slightly and reintroduced, continuing the process until it achieves approval.
As Bodnar noted, such a sequence might also prompt questions about the president’s long-term role. He proposed examining whether the president intends to pursue broader diplomacy in Ukraine’s ongoing war context or simply maintain influence in political circles after ending his term.
The discussion also touched on the tenure of NBP President Adam Glapiński, whose term runs until 2028. Bodnar indicated little tolerance for shortening that term through unconventional constitutional arguments, stressing the need to rely on established procedures.
He framed the broader issue as a test of whether proposed changes serve political goals or stay aligned with constitutional principles, insisting that the latter should prevail even if it costs money.
The same logic was applied to the National Broadcasting Council, with Bodnar cautioning that deviations from constitutional norms could erode trust and invite competitive tension among political forces. He warned that if constitutional rules are bypassed or ignored in any location, the democratic opposition could become entangled in its own web, potentially weakening civic safeguards that citizens fought to secure. The Constitution should remain a guiding standard, even if enforcing it takes more time.
He added that there are limits to what can be done and that politicians must explain when certain actions are not feasible, even if conditions in state institutions have become rigid. Concrete examples of stalled or contested decisions were acknowledged, with the possibility that some officials might resign or shift positions in unexpected ways.
When asked about restoring a separation of powers between the Minister of Justice and the Attorney General, Bodnar argued that such a division is not merely desirable but an obligation. He pointed to the Lex Super Omnia association as a recent proposal illustrating this direction and asked whether the time had come to reaffirm long-standing institutional arrangements. He emphasized that solid institutions must be maintained while reforms are debated.
Bodnar stressed that reforms must proceed in parallel channels: strengthening institutional integrity on one side and renewing the justice system on the other. He noted that citizens would watch closely to see how issues like Swiss franc matters and the 2016 repressive law are addressed, along with the functioning of courts, case processing in family matters, and access to justice overall. The aim, he asserted, is not just reform in theory but practical improvement in daily governance.
Ultimately, Bodnar reminded readers that the president retains veto power over legislation enacted by parliament. This dynamic has occurred in the past and is likely to continue under the new parliamentary lineup. In the meantime, the senator has already begun presenting a firm stance in discussions with the head of state.
Citation: wPolityce, observations attributed to Bodnar
— attribution: wPolityce