Szymon Hołownia explains what he meant by a "coup d'état." "There is no conspiracy."

Szymon Hołownia explained in a post published on social media what he meant by a “coup d’état.”

On Friday, in an interview with Polsat News, Sejm Speaker Szymon Hołownia stated that " he was repeatedly proposed, suggested, and asked whether he was ready to carry out a coup d'état." He was referring to the refusal to convene the National Assembly and swear in Karol Nawrocki as president due to uncertainties related to errors in the district commissions during the second round of the election .

The Speaker of the Sejm admitted that similar ideas had already been floated among a small group of ruling coalition leaders, with Prime Minister Donald Tusk reportedly asking directly, "What are we doing?" on the matter. Hołownia emphasized that he saw no basis for questioning the election results and that a coup d'état "would not be staged." "I call it a coup d'état. Of course, it doesn't meet the legal criteria for a coup d'état, but when I say coup d'état, I mean a situation in which a president has been elected and I say, 'Well, I don't like this president, so maybe I won't swear him in,'" he said.

During Saturday's meeting with voters in Pabianice, Prime Minister Donald Tusk referred to Szymon Hołownia's statement, emphasizing that "irresponsible behavior and reckless words can lead to very serious consequences."

Now the Speaker of the Sejm explained what he meant by a "coup d'état".

Szymon Hołownia, in a post published on his private Facebook account, explained what he meant when he spoke of a "coup d'état".

"I see that there is a need, so I am explaining that I used the term 'coup d'état' in yesterday's 'Gość Wydarzeń', as I did many times before, not in the legal sense – which was clearly emphasized in the conversation – but as a political diagnosis, a description of a situation in which the state is being seriously destabilized and the principles of democracy are being undermined," we read.

Hołownia also noted in his post that since the second round of the presidential election, won by Karol Nawrocki, "expectations have been repeatedly expressed in the public sphere regarding not recognizing the voters' verdict, not convening the National Assembly to swear in the president-elect, or obstructing the Assembly by declaring recesses, calls for an unconstitutional assumption of presidential duties, and finally, calling for new elections." "I responded to all these publicly made suggestions unequivocally and in accordance with the law: presidential elections are presumed valid, all cases of irregularities in the electoral process should be clarified through prosecutorial proceedings, and there are no factual or legal grounds for not convening the National Assembly and administering the oath of office to the newly elected President of the Republic of Poland," added the Speaker of the Sejm.

Hołownia also stressed that "the stability of state institutions, the continuity of power and authority over the Armed Forces are values that – especially in the current situation – must not be questioned." "And any attempts to question them, and thus destabilize the state, like all the leaders of the October 15 coalition who are unanimous in this matter, I firmly oppose and will continue to oppose," he pointed out.

The politician also noted that almost two months have passed since the presidential election. "I appeal to both sides of the political debate not to seek conspiracies where none exist, and not to question the democratic verdict of the voters, regardless of the emotions it evokes," the Speaker of the Sejm emphasized.

The Speaker of the Sejm's words about a "coup d'état" sparked an immediate reaction from politicians across the political spectrum. A wave of outrage and demands for decisive action erupted among commentators and politicians. Calls also emerged from both the ruling camp and the opposition to immediately notify the prosecutor's office, to disclose the names, and to act in accordance with constitutional principles.

Anna Maria Żukowska of the Left openly accused Hołownia of having knowledge of preparations to change the state system, and of having an obligation to notify the prosecutor's office. In her opinion, the Marshal's lack of reaction could be interpreted as "over-the-top rhetoric, or a kind of blackmail and a veiled threat."

Tomasz Zimoch, a suspended member of Poland 2050, asked whether Szymon Hołownia had "notified the relevant authorities" in connection with the instigations to stage a coup d'état or not, because he was playing "his own game".

Former Prime Minister Beata Szydło emphasized in her post that "the pressure on the Marshal must be clarified as soon as possible."

"They want to pull the wool over their eyes with trumped-up accusations, and at the same time they were planning a coup d'état, as Marshal Hołownia openly says," noted former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.

In connection with Hołownia’s statement about a “coup d’état,” attorney Bartosz Lewandowski from Ordo Iuris filed a motion with the prosecutor’s office to question the Speaker of the Sejm, noting that inciting a coup d’état is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.