Włodzimierz Czarzasty delivered a speech. “The rules are simple. The president represents, the government rules”
— I would like to thank Szymon Hołownia for his work. The government coalition has a stable majority and will rule for at least 2 years. These will be good years for Poland – Włodzimierz Czarzasty began his speech.
— I will be the guardian of the rights of parliament and the democratic system of the state described in our constitution. A constitution guaranteeing social justice, institutional order, political pluralism, equality of citizens before the law, a social market economy, and universal access to health care, education, culture and housing is the basis for the functioning of the Polish state, the Marshal emphasized.
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— I will put a stop to any attempts that will try to violate the constitutional agreement – he warned. – These the rules are simple. The president represents, the government rules – he added.
He clearly said that “agreements must be kept.” — Polish history shows that our nation does not accept a government model in which all power is concentrated in the hands of one man. I am the marshal elected by the MPs of the coalition on October 15. I am a Left Wing politician. I will act on behalf of this coalition, on behalf of the 11 million voters who entrusted this coalition with power.
He warned against quarreling between citizens. He assured that he would be a predictable marshal and open to any discussion. — I will cooperate with all parliamentarians. I will support a tolerant Sejm – he emphasized. He talked about the EU and NATO as security guarantors.
– I wish you a peaceful evening and two peaceful years of democratic rule, which will be good for Poland – concluded Marshal Włodzimierz Czarzasty's short speech.
Włodzimierz Czarzasty elected as the new Speaker of the Sejm
By decision of the Sejm, the leader of the New Left, Włodzimierz Czarzasty, was elected on Tuesday, November 18, to the position of Speaker of the Sejm. He replaced the Speaker of the Sejm, Szymon Hołownia, who resigned after two years. 236 MPs voted for the election of the leader of the New Left as Marshal, 209 were against and 2 abstained.
For the election of Włodzimierz Czarzasty to the position of Speaker of the Sejm MPs from the government coalition, i.e. KO, Lewica, PSL and Polska 2050, voted. MPs from PiS, Konfederacja, Konfederacja Korona Polski and Razem Party were against it.
This change results from the provisions of the coalition agreement of November 2023, according to which, after half the term, the presidency of the lower house is taken over by a representative of the Left. The last time such a role was played by a politician from this camp, Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz, in 2005.
The political path of Włodzimierz Czarzasty. From ZSP to KRRiT and the Rywin scandal
The political biography of Włodzimierz Czarzasty is full of phrases. Born in 1960, he started as an activist of the Polish Students' Association, an organization supporting the authorities of the Polish People's Republic. Until 1990, he was also a member of the Polish United Workers' Party. After the political transformation, he went into business – he co-founded the Muza publishing house and was involved in media projects. In 1999, he joined the National Broadcasting Council, where from 2000 he served as secretary, de facto managing the work of the council.
Read also: The latest survey. Poles do not want Włodzimierz Czarzasty as Speaker of the Sejm
It was during this period that the Rywin scandal broke out, which burdened his public image for years. The investigative committee investigating the background of demanding a bribe from Agora also interrogated Czarzasty.
The politician himself claimed that he learned about Rywin's proposal from the media, and he considered it groundless to attribute to him the role of one of the people responsible behind the scenes of the scandal. Zbigniew Ziobro's report, identifying him as a member of the so-called “the group holding power”, was considered biased, and the subsequent court judgment did not confirm his participation in the procedure. Nevertheless, the turmoil led to his resignation from the National Broadcasting Council in 2005.
Return to politics and the path to the top of the Left
After several years of social activity and work in the “Ordynacka” Association, Czarzasty returned to the front line of politics in 2012, taking over the leadership of SLD in Mazovia. Four years later, he became the chairman of the entire party, becoming one of the main leaders of the leftist scene, alongside Adrian Zandberg and Robert Biedroń. Under his leadership, the Left first returned to the Sejm and later became one of the pillars of the coalition government after the 2023 elections.
In recent years, Czarzasty won a parliamentary seat with the support of over 22,000. voters and took up the position of deputy speaker of the Sejm. He also sits on the committees for secret services and state control. He is also known for his characteristic, informal style – including colorful sweaters, which have often become the subject of media commentary. One of them – the famous yellow one – even put the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity up for auction.
Włodzimierz Czarzasty's assumption of the marshal's seat is a breakthrough moment for the Left, and for the politician himself it is the culmination of over forty years of presence in public life – from student activities, through the gravity of the Rywin scandal, to his return to the top of national politics.
