Sir, – Further to "Country at tipping point over Kaczynski power grab" (December 19th), which refers to the latest developments taking place in Poland, the Embassy of Poland supports freedom of opinion as well as the unrestrained functioning of the media. We would like, however, to refer to the two paragraphs of the above-mentioned article, which are not precise and require further explanation: "PiS and their allies have been quick to condemn the parliamentary blockade as 'an attempted coup'. But by moving the parliamentary session to a private room, and passing the budget while excluding opposition and press, who here is staging the coup?''
In this regard, the Embassy of Poland would like to explain that during the session of the Sejm on December 16th, Platforma Obywatelska (PO) MP Michal Szczerba was excluded from the session on the decision of the marshal of the Sejm after the MP provocatively came to the podium with a card that read “Free media in the parliament” during the vote on the draft budget. Mr Szczerba then placed the card on the podium and spoke on the proposed amendments regarding journalist activity in the Sejm.
The blockade of the plenary hall by opposition MPs, which occurred after the exclusion of the PO MP, and the obstruction of continued work on, among other things, the draft state budget for 2017 and a law on the removal of former communist secret police operatives, was a violation of the law and security in the House. In such cases, the marshal of the Sejm has – in accordance with the rules of the Sejm – an obligation to respond.
At the Council of Elders, the marshal of the Sejm first asked the heads of parliamentary groups to enable proceedings to take place in the plenary hall. In the absence of a response, Marek Kuchcinski made the decision to move the venue of the meeting to the Column Hall, which the MPs were informed of in advance. The rules of the Sejm authorise the marshal to convene meetings and to determine their time and place. The relocation of the parliamentary session to Column Hall is not a precedent, for example the 73rd parliamentary session of the sixth Sejm also took place in the Column Hall, on August 12th, 2010.
Due to the existing conditions, the marshal of the Sejm decided, pursuant to the rules of the Sejm, to order the vote by a show of hands and for the votes to be counted by parliamentary secretaries. The results of all the votes clearly showed that they were carried out in accordance with the constitutional quorum.
Your article states that “[PiS] worked quickly to eliminate checks and balances on its power and launched a radical overhaul of Polish politics, media, business, justice and education’’.
As far as the work carried out by journalists in the Sejm is concerned, we would like to state that the proposed changes will increase the comfort, safety and professionalism of the work of both journalists and politicians, and they will contribute to improving the image of the Sejm and the Senate. A media centre will be established, as is the case in other parliaments, which will apply the latest technological solutions enabling a full service (briefings, conferences, live coverage, etc) with regards to events taking place in the Sejm and the Senate. Changes regarding how the work of journalists is organised are modelled on solutions already in existence in Europe.
The proposed changes include the appointment of permanent parliamentary correspondents by each editorial outlet, who will receive special passes guaranteeing unlimited access to the media centre and the main building of the Sejm and the Senate. Important events in the parliament, including sessions of the National Assembly, exhibitions, and special conferences, will be eligible for wider media coverage. – Yours, etc,
RYSZARD SARKOWICZ,
Ambassador of Poland
in Ireland,
Ailesbury Road, Dublin 4.