The Sejm is set to hold a two‑day session starting Wednesday, during which deputies will review a range of items, including a request to stage a nationwide referendum. Delegates will also address Senate amendments to laws affecting power engineers and lignite miners and will continue work on the initiative known as Let’s Protect Children.
The government has asked the Sejm to organize the nationwide vote, submitting a four‑part question package for consideration.
The first question asks whether citizens back selling state assets to foreign buyers, with the concern that such deals would strip Polish workers of influence over strategic sectors of the economy. The second queries support for raising the retirement age, including reinstating an increased retirement age of 67 for both men and women. The third asks for support to remove the border barrier between Poland and Belarus. The fourth asks whether the country should admit thousands of illegal migrants from the Middle East and Africa under a relocation scheme tied to European Union mechanisms.
Per the provisional agenda, the Sejm plans to take up the government’s motion on Thursday morning, followed by a vote. Under the Rules of Procedure, a resolution is adopted by an absolute majority, provided at least half of the statutory deputy cadre is present.
Should the motion pass, it will be referred to the Legislative Committee to prepare a draft resolution about organizing the referendum. The plans envisage a first reading of the resolution on Thursday afternoon, with the Sejm ultimately passing the referendum instruction by an absolute majority in the presence of at least half the statutory deputies.
The referendum is scheduled to coincide with the parliamentary elections on 15 October.
According to the preliminary plan, the Sejm will also handle, among other matters, a Senate resolution opposing an amendment to the national referendum law, which would enable holding the referendum on the same day as elections. It would also standardize voting hours, typically from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., across the different events.
The joint Senate committees’ rapporteur, Krzysztof Kwiatkowski, noted the Legislative Bureau’s concerns that the provisions may not simplify voting for the public. He argued that extending election and referendum hours could dilute turnout for both processes and cited worries that aligning the timing with this year’s parliamentary elections might blur the line between referendum and election, potentially increasing costs and administrative strain.
In addition, the Sejm will consider Senate amendments to the Special Provisions for the Protection of Electricity Consumers Act, tied to the energy sector’s current conditions. One disputed item concerns the solidarity levy on extraordinary profits from coal mining and coke production in 2022, which would apply only to employers with more than 3,000 workers, i.e., Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa. Four other entities would be exempted, including Koksownia Częstochowa Nowa, part of the private Zarmen Group, and Victoria Coking Plant in Wałbrzych, owned by TF Silesia, a state entity. The government expressed support for this amendment.
Further, the Sejm will review Senate changes to the shields law applicable to power engineers and lignite miners. The core revisions allow applications for coverage before notification by the European Commission and allocate resources to ZUS to support the coverage process.
Lawmakers will also press ahead with a civil draft amending the education law, the so‑called Let’s Protect the Children. The proposal would exclude associations and organizations that aim to promote issues related to the sexualization of children in kindergartens and primary schools. In late July, the Sejm rejected an opposition motion to block the Let’s Protect Children measure, and the rule was sent to the Committee on Education, Science and Youth for further work.
[Citation: wPolityce]