Politics / Polityka

INTRODUCTION

Poland is a democratic republic. The Premier (Prime Minister) is the head of the Government and the Prezydent (President) is the head of state. Poland has a multi-party system with 7 political parties in Sejm (House of Commons) and 4 in Senat (House of Lords).

SEJM

Sejm is a lower house of the Polish parliament with 460 members. Sejm's responsibilities are similar to those of the House of Commons, i.e. vote on laws, elect chairs of the banks, courts etc... Member are elected for a 4 year period.

This picture shows the allocation of seats in Sejm according to the political party.

The current Government consists of PO (Civic Platform), PSL (Polish People's Party) members and few Independent. The Prime Minister is Ewa Kopacz (PO). Mrs Kopacz is responsible for monitoring the work of 18 ministries and ensuring the overall success of Poland in every field possible. Mrs Kopacz succeeded Mr Donald Tusk, who was appointed as the new President of the European Council. 

Office	Incumbent		Party	Since
Prime Minister	Ewa Kopacz		Civic Platform	22 September 2014
Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Economy	Janusz Piechociński		Polish People's Party	6 December 2012
Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of National Defence	Tomasz Siemoniak		Civic Platform	2 August 2011
Minister of Administration and Digitization	Andrzej Halicki		Civic Platform	22 September 2014
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development	Marek Sawicki		Polish People's Party	17 March 2014
Minister of Culture and National Heritage	Małgorzata Omilanowska		Independent	17 June 2014
Minister of Environment	Maciej Grabowski		Independent	27 November 2013
Minister of Finance	Mateusz Szczurek		Independent	27 November 2013
Minister of Foreign Affairs	Grzegorz Schetyna		Civic Platform	22 September 2014
Minister of Health	Bartosz Arłukowicz		Civic Platform	18 November 2011
Minister of Infrastructure and Development	Maria Wasiak		Independent	22 September 2014
Minister of Interior	Teresa Piotrowska		Civic Platform	22 September 2014
Minister of Justice	Cezary Grabarczyk		Civic Platform	22 September 2014
Minister of Labour and Social Policy	Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz		Polish People's Party	18 November 2011
Minister of National Education	Joanna Kluzik-Rostkowska		Civic Platform	27 November 2013
Minister of Science and Higher Education	Lena Kolarska-Bobińska		Civic Platform	3 December 2013
Minister of Sport and Tourism	Andrzej Biernat		Civic Platform	27 November 2013
Minister of State Treasury	Włodzimierz Karpiński		Civic Platform	24 April 2013
Chief of the Chancellery	Jacek Cichocki		Independent	25 February 2013

MP's at work.

SENAT

Senat is an upper house of the Polish parliament with 100 members (Senators). Setat's responsibilities are to discuss on the laws passed by Sejm and either pass them forward to the President or reject them completely. Member are elected for a 4 year period. 

                  This picture shows the allocation of seats in Senat according to the political party.

                                                                          Senators at work.

PRESIDENT

The President of the Republic of Poland is Mr Bronisław Komorowski 

Mr Komorowski is a head of the state and a head of all Polish Armed Forces. The President has the power to pass or veto all laws passed by both houses of the parliament. His role is mostly representative. The President is elected for a 5 year period. Before becoming a President, Mr Komorowski was a speaker in the Sejm and after the death of the President Lech Kaczyński, Mr Komorowski was elected as a new President.  

It is important to note that the Polish political system is well defined in the Polish Constitution, however as an EU member Poland has to follow all European rules and regulations.  

Barack Obama speech at a ceremony to mark the 25th anniversary of Poland's first free elections in                                                                                   1989. 

Poles are paying last tributes to the President of Poland Mr Lech Kaczyński and his wife the First Lady Maria Kaczyńska whom were killed with other 94 victims in the Smoleńsk plane crash in 2010.