Maciej Świrski has been dismissed from his position as chairman of the National Broadcasting Council, reports the Do Rzeczy news portal. The move comes as new polling shows the ruling coalition is weaker than ever.
The National Broadcasting Council announced Świrski’s dismissal on Monday, citing its “constitutional obligations,” having obtained the statutory majority of four votes.
In 2022, Świrski was elected to the Council by the Sejm, after having his name put forth by Law and Justice (PiS), for a six-year term. He became chairman that same year. Now, Agnieszka Glapiak will serve as chairwoman. Hanna Karp, also elected by a statutory majority of four votes, was appointed deputy chairwoman of the KRRiT.
Taking to social media, Świrski posted on X: “Out of respect for the Polish State and the gravity of the moment, I have decided not to take any action to reverse yesterday’s – in my opinion, legally flawed – dismissal of me from the position of Chairman of the National Broadcasting Council. In the face of the inauguration of the President of the Republic of Poland, I do not want to give the government a pretext to generate chaos and lower the rank of offices.”
Nevertheless, he did release a statement on Monday, indicating that his dismissal had no legal basis, as the meeting at which the vote took place had not been called per the established rules. Only the chairman can convene the meeting and resume it after a break, his statement explained.
He also stated that inviting him “to this improperly convened meeting provided by Director Szydłowska is an attempt to legitimize this action, which is inconsistent with the Regulations.”
In an interview with Onet.pl, KRRiT member Tadeusz Kowalski said Council members had previously talked on the phone about the dismissal.
“We agreed that Maciej Świrski should be removed from his position as chairman to ensure the proper functioning of the Council. The motion was submitted by Marzena Paczuska, the vote was swift, and we were unanimous. Four members of the National Broadcasting Council supported removing Mr. Świrski from his position,” he added.
In the meantime, the ruling Civic Coalition has lost two more members, according to the latest IBRiS polling for “Super Express. KO is slightly ahead of Law and Justice, at 32.14 percent versus 31.94 percent, while Konfederacja (Confederation) came in third with nearly 12 percent of those surveyed.
All other parties are far behind, including two coalition members who would no longer even make it into the Sejm.
“6.2 percent of Poles want to vote for the Left, but the other coalition partners are already below the electoral threshold. Polska 2050 with 4.9 percent, and PSL with 3.18 percent support. The Razem Party (4.35 percent) and the Confederation of the Polish Crown (4.79 percent) would also not enter the Sejm,” SE states about the results, as cited by Do Rzeczy.
“After the presidential election, it’s clear that this wasn’t a one-off choice by Poles. There’s a slight difference between Civic Platform and Law and Justice, but trends point to the growing power of Law and Justice and Confederation,” commented Dr. Bartłomiej Machnik, a political scientist.
“If Prime Minister Donald Tusk doesn’t present a plan for governing after the reconstruction in the coming weeks, in the long term, the Law and Justice party (PiS) may emerge as the leader and strengthen its position,” he added.
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