The Sejm Speaker Szymon Hołownia rejected claims that his early actions were designed as political theater. He described the decision as a procedural matter tied to a concrete electoral outcome rather than a political move, referencing the ongoing case surrounding Włodzimierz Karpiński. Hołownia explained that three individuals had been notified of their priority status to assume a mandate in the European Parliament, a development tied to the results of recent elections and the formal transfer of duties.
The day before, a former Warsaw City Hall official and former minister associated with the PO-PSL government had been released from custody, after being detained since February in connection with investigations into waste management contracts in Warsaw. Karpiński was subsequently named to take Krzysztof Hetman’s place in the European Parliament, following Hetman’s election to the Sejm.
Asked at a Friday press conference whether he viewed the decision as favorable, Hołownia stated that it was not a political ruling. He emphasized that, regardless of party affiliation, the Sejm Speaker’s actions were official duties and that he was bound to sign the decision confirming Karpiński’s mandate. He noted that he had also signed a separate decision confirming Witold Pahl’s mandate the day before.
Hołownia underscored that the process is clearly described by law. When a mandate is earned through elections, the President of the Sejm is obliged to inform the eligible candidate immediately, permitting them to accept the mandate after formal confirmation. The marshal then makes the final decision on acceptance of the mandate.
He reiterated that the action was not political in nature, stressing that an official decision cannot be ignored. He warned that any marshal who fails to make such a determination risks accountability before the Public Prosecution Service and the State Tribunal.
Characterizing the reaction of some political figures as attempts to frame the issue as a political stunt, Hołownia rejected such narrative shifts as unacceptable. He described remarks from various PiS politicians as an attempt to deflect responsibility and obscure their own legal difficulties.
Hołownia emphasized that the decisions regarding Karpiński came from the National Public Prosecutor’s Office, and he advised contacting that office for any further inquiries. He consulted Sejm legal counsel to determine the appropriate next steps in his role as President of the Sejm, and was advised to notify the President of the European Parliament about the situation while allowing her to handle the matter going forward. He closed by stating that his role concluded with the formal acceptance of Karpiński’s mandate in accordance with Polish law.
Historically, Karpiński appeared on the European Coalition list for the 2019 European Parliament elections but did not receive a mandate at that time. Hetman, who recently secured a seat in the Polish Sejm, subsequently moved to the European Parliament, while Joanna Mucha was slated to join the European Parliament under Hetman’s lead, but she was elected to the Polish Sejm instead. If the line of succession continued, the next eligible candidate would have been Riad Haidar; however, he passed away in May of the same year. Ultimately, the European Parliament mandate transferred to Karpiński as the subsequent candidate on the list.
For readers seeking deeper context, an interview and commentary surrounding these developments provide additional perspectives on the decisions and their political implications. This sequence of events underscores the mechanics of mandate transfers and the balance between legal procedures and political narratives in the Polish system.