All signs point to the first session of the Sejm under the new term taking place on November 13 or 14, as stated by Paweł Szrot, head of the President’s Office, in a TVN24 interview today. He stressed that nothing will be extended beyond what the law allows.
The presidential minister reminded that the current parliament’s term ends in November. He reiterated that nothing will be “extended” beyond the legal timeframe.
When asked about the exact date of the first Sejm session, Szrot emphasized that the decision rests with the president. “It is already the president’s decision”, he noted.
There is a specific framework guiding these events. The process will unfold in the same manner and at the same pace as in previous changes of government, he added.
When pressed about whether it would be November 13 or 14, Szrot avoided speculation. He underscored that the president has full freedom of action within the law’s bounds.
To the journalist’s remark that the first Sejm session would occur on November 13 or 14, Szrot replied that all discussed circumstances point to that timeline.
Three steps to forming a government
The constitution lays out three possible avenues for forming a government after elections. In the first stage, the president plays a key role by convening a one-day joint session of the Sejm and the Senate within 30 days after Election Day, which in this case means no later than November 14 (elections were held on October 15). During the first session of the Sejm in the new term, the incumbent Prime Minister must resign, and the President must accept the resignation. A government in a state of dissolution continues to function until a new one is appointed.
Next, the president appoints the prime minister and the cabinet. Historically, presidents have tended to appoint individuals recommended by the party that won the election. When appointing the Prime Minister, the President considers that the government he proposes must secure an absolute majority in the Sejm to receive a vote of confidence. If the Council of Ministers does not secure confidence, the Sejm may take the initiative to form the government itself.
In this constitutional procedure, a group of at least 46 MPs can nominate a candidate for prime minister. The Sejm elects the Prime Minister by an absolute majority in the presence of at least half of the legal deputies. The Head of Government then presents the government’s program and the proposed cabinet to the Sejm, which must be approved by an absolute majority with at least half of the deputies present. This constitutes a vote of confidence for the government. The Sejm has fourteen days to elect the prime minister and the government.
If the Sejm cannot form a government in this stage, the President may appoint the Prime Minister and, at the President’s request, other ministers within fourteen days and administer their oath. After presidential appointment, the cabinet has fourteen days to secure a vote of confidence in the Sejm. In this stage, confidence requires a simple majority, provided at least half of the legal deputies are present, since the absolute majority was needed in the two previous steps.
If no government is elected on the third attempt, the president must shorten the term of the Sejm and call elections.
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Note: The presented timeline and steps reflect constitutional procedures and public commentary surrounding the formation of a new government in Poland. No external links are included here; information is summarized with attribution to the original Polish media source.