There is a need for open dialogue among Poland’s leadership to address the fallout from pardons issued in 2015. President Andrzej Duda is expected to highlight the consequences of pardoning Mariusz Kamiński and Maciej Wąsik during a discussion with Sejm Speaker Szymon Hołownia. Małgorzata Paprocka, speaking on TOK FM, noted that the president does not plan to forward the budget to the Constitutional Court at this stage and intends to sign the budget when ready.
Meeting of the President and the Speaker of the Sejm
Marcin Mastalerek, head of the President’s Office, announced that President Andrzej Duda invited Sejm Speaker Szymon Hołownia to a meeting at the Presidential Palace to discuss the situation surrounding Mariusz Kamiński and Maciej Wąsik. Paprocka told TOK FM that the president wants to speak with the Speaker because the pardons have stirred strong political emotions and the moment calls for careful handling rather than escalation.
She explained that, in the president’s view, there is a need for both the first and second persons in the country to come to the table and talk through the matter in a way that avoids widening the conflict. The president had previously sent an official position to the Speaker on the matter a few weeks earlier.
The minister added that there remains space for discussion on the subject.
– she added.
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Consequences of a presidential pardon
When asked about the president’s possible proposals to Hołownia, the Presidential Minister said that the president would emphasize the consequences of pardoning Maciej Wąsik and Mariusz Kamiński and would also recall positions taken in 2015 that bear relevance to how the Constitutional Tribunal handles related matters.
– she added.
When asked whether Hołownia might have exceeded legal boundaries by deactivating cards linked to those PiS politicians, Paprocka described it as a technical issue. She suggested that earlier stages of the Marshal’s procedures could raise questions, such as the delivery of documents to the Supreme Court, noting that the marshal must consider all circumstances, especially the fact that a presidential pardon has been granted.
Commenting on the core accusation against the President — that he acts as guardian of the Constitution while his actions appear to favor colleagues — Paprocka stated that the law of pardon, as defined by the Constitution today, includes a notable limitation: the text prohibits pardoning decisions of the State Tribunal; beyond that, the president retains discretionary power.
She underscored that the president’s assessment of Kamiński and Wąsik’s activities is unequivocal, highlighting concerns that in Poland individuals who fight corruption are sometimes found guilty.
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Budget law
The discussion also touched on the Budget Law for 2024. Paprocka was asked whether, under the Constitution, merely sending the Budget Law to the Constitutional Court could give the President a chance to overrule a Sejm dissolution.
We are at the stage of processing the budget law and the presidential chancellery’s stance is clear: first, it would be preferable for the law to be passed in accordance with the regulations.
– said Paprocka. She added that this is an extremely formalized act.
She emphasized that the president is not considering sending the budget to the Constitutional Court at this stage. When asked whether such a possibility exists under the Constitution, she replied that the Constitution states that the Sejm, and in this case the Speaker of the Sejm, has four months to submit a bill for the president’s decision. The president can either sign the budget or send it to the Constitutional Court.
Asked whether the president believes he can dissolve the Sejm even if the budget is submitted on time, the presidential minister said that her view is that the clause concerns only the deadline and presentation of the budget to the Speaker for signature.
But what the budget will look like and whether the president will decide at all — as she noted, the president would like to sign the budget.
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