Cuts in the Chancellery of the President, more for the services. A heated budget debate is about to take place in the Sejm

The Sejm will start its session on Wednesday; MPs will hold the second reading of the draft budget act for 2026. They will also discuss, among others: project on government administration and regulations that will enable the creation of the Security and Defense Fund.

According to the preliminary work schedule, the main point of Wednesday's meeting will be the second reading of the budget act for next year. A medium debate on this point is scheduled to start after 10 a.m. and last for almost seven hours, until 17.

The draft budget act for 2026 was submitted to the Sejm on September 30, its first reading took place on October 9, and on November 20, the Sejm Public Finance Committee dealt with the amendments submitted in the first reading. Of the 109 amendments, the committee rejected all but one, which cuts spending, among other things. for the offices of the president, the Sejm and the Senate, and increases expenses, among others. for special services.

The draft budget includes record spending on national defense, exceeding PLN 200 billion, which corresponds to 4.81 percent. GDP. These funds are to be used to modernize the army and support the security system. PLN 247.8 billion is to be allocated to health care, which is 6.81 percent. GDP, and the government's priority will be investments in medical infrastructure and human resources. Expenditures on roads and railways will amount to PLN 53.9 billion, including PLN 20.1 billion from the state budget.

Another session of the Sejm is scheduled for Friday, during which a vote on next year's budget will take place.

On Wednesday evening, after the second reading of the draft budget bill, MPs will continue work on the government bill amending certain acts related to the functioning of government administration. According to the project, the Prime Minister, on his own initiative or at the request of one of the ministers, will be able to appoint his own plenipotentiaries by way of an ordinance. For example, he will be able to decide how to locate the body responsible for implementing tasks in the field of equal treatment and senior policy in the government structure. The head of government will be able to entrust the task in the area of ​​equal treatment to: a member of the Council of Ministers, the secretary of state, an undersecretary of state or the government plenipotentiary for equality. However, tasks in the field of senior policy will be able to be performed by the Minister of Family, Labor and Social Policy or the government plenipotentiary for senior policy.

Then, the Sejm will work on the government's draft amendment to the Act on Public Documents and the Act on Excise Duty. It assumes that the exclusive right to produce the most important public documents will be held by a company supervised by the state – Polska Wytwórnia Papierów Wartościowych (PWPW). The new regulations will also prevent the delegation of these tasks to other contractors, which is intended to reduce the risk of unauthorized disclosure of strategically important data.

Government proposals to change the provisions of the Labor Code and the Act on the company social benefits fund are the next agenda item. This deregulatory project concerns the rules for settling leave compensation when terminating an employment contract. The date of payment of the equivalent is to be linked to the date of payment of remuneration. The project also ensures greater representation of employees when determining matters related to the company social benefits fund at employers where there are no trade unions.

The next deregulation projects that the Sejm will work on include, among others: introduction of new rules for defining urban planning agreements. The commune council will be able to adopt – as an act of local law – general principles for shaping the provisions of urban planning agreements. These rules will include, among others: the scope of the investor's obligations in the implementation and financing of complementary investments. Thanks to the new regulations, the investment process can be shortened by up to 45 days.

Late on Wednesday evening, MPs are to hold the second reading of the government bill on special rules for the implementation of tasks related to security and defense investments implemented under the National Reconstruction and Resilience Plan. The new regulations will enable the creation of the Security and Defense Fund, which is to be allocated EUR 4.65 billion. Poland will be able to spend this money on investments related to the development of protective construction and civil protection infrastructure, as well as the construction and modernization of dual-use infrastructure. It is also about investing in cybersecurity and the modernization of enterprises, including support for scientific research and development.

On Thursday, MPs will work on the government's draft amendment to the Act on the Operation of Stone Mining. The project is intended to enable mining companies to gradually liquidate mines with financial support from the state. A package of protective benefits is provided for sector employees, such as mining holidays and one-off severance pay.

The Sejm is also to continue work on the draft amendment to the Act on the protection of the rights of purchasers of residential premises or single-family houses and the Developer Guarantee Fund. The justification stated that the project introduces significant changes from the point of view of the real estate buyer. This includes: o the requirement to use the appropriate Polish Standard to calculate the usable area of ​​a flat or single-family house.

MPs will also deal with a government project thanks to which micro, small and medium-sized enterprises will have more time to provide electricity sellers with information about the aid received related to the application of the maximum energy price in the second half of 2024. Thanks to this, entrepreneurs who did not manage to submit the required forms avoid the risk of returning the support.

On Thursday evening, the Sejm will hold the first reading of the government's draft amendment to the Act on the national cybersecurity system. The project adapts Polish regulations to EU requirements. The new regulations provide for, among others: expansion of the list of entities of the national cybersecurity system to include new sectors of the economy (e.g. space, post, production, production and distribution of chemicals, production and distribution of food), purchase of equipment and modernization of infrastructure, and creation of response teams to cybersecurity incidents.

During the voting block, MPs will decide on the fate of the Senate's amendments to several bills. (PAP)

kos/ sdd/