Duda blocks “lex Romanowski”. Hołownia became furious

A decision was made in the Presidential Palace that caused a huge controversy. Andrzej Duda referred the so-called “lex Romanowski” to the Constitutional Tribunal. This is a law that takes away the salaries of members of parliament who are wanted by an arrest warrant. This means that Marcin Romanowski, a former deputy minister of justice hiding in Hungary, can still receive his parliamentary salary.

The Speaker of the Sejm, Szymon Hołownia, did not hide his indignation and sharply commented on the president’s decision:

“Poles cannot finance MP Romanowski’s vacation in Budapest. The President, however, has doubts about this, because he has just referred the bill to the Tribunal. Shame,” thundered Hołownia.

What is the “lex Romanowski” about?

What did the amendment to the act on the exercise of the mandate of a deputy and senator assume? A member of parliament against whom a decision on temporary arrest has been applied or who is in hiding from the justice system loses the right to a parliamentary salary and allowance. In addition, such a deputy or senator would not be able to perform their duties. This included exercising the right to parliamentary intervention, access to public information or social and living privileges. The provisions were also to have a retroactive effect. They were to cover politicians against whom a decision on arrest was issued before the amendment into force.

The law passed by the Sejm in January was intended to prevent a situation in which a politician prosecuted by the justice system continues to receive public funds. The changes were to hit Marcin Romanowski, who fled to Hungary and obtained political asylum there.

Romanowski is suspected of participating in an organized crime group and rigging competitions for grants from the Justice Fund. Investigators accuse him of allowing bids to be corrected before they were submitted. He allegedly indicated to his subordinates which entities should receive the money. Losses to the State Treasury? PLN 108 million.

Duda blocks the bill. What raised his doubts?

However, Andrzej Duda considered that the Senate had “exceeded its competences” by adding amendments to the act. According to the President’s Chancellery, they were not the subject of the original regulation.

“The Senate has gone beyond the limits of permissible amendments which, in accordance with the Constitution and the case law of the Constitutional Tribunal, it may introduce to the text of the act,” the Chancellery of the President explained the decision.

This means one thing. The bill now goes to Julia Przyłębska’s Constitutional Tribunal. This could mean a months-long freeze of the regulations.