Sejm

The Sejm is the lower house of the parliament in Poland. Together with the upper house, called the Senate, it forms the National Assembly, Poland's national legislature. The Sejm has 460 deputies who are elected every four years by people all over the country.

In Poland's history, the Sejm has played many roles. In the past, it was part of a three-part parliament that included the King. Today, it is the main governing body of the Third Polish Republic, which began in 1989 after big changes in the government.

During a time called the Polish People's Republic, the Sejm was the only government body, but it mostly just approved decisions made by the leaders in power. After communism ended in 1989, the Sejm became a democratic part of Poland's government again.

History

Kingdom of Poland

The Sejm is an old word meaning "gathering" or "meeting." It began with King's Councils, called "wiece." These became important when Poland was divided between 1146 and 1295. The 1180 Sejm in Łęczyca was important because it made laws to limit the ruler's power. These early Sejms only met when the King asked them to.

By 1493, the Sejm met regularly every two years. It had two parts: the Senate with 81 bishops and important people, and the Chamber of Deputies with 54 representatives from local groups. During this time, Poland's nobility became very powerful.

Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth

Over time, the Sejm grew stronger and supported important groups. The Union of Lublin in 1569 joined Poland and Lithuania, adding new representatives from Lithuania. The Sejm became very powerful, making final decisions on laws, money, foreign policy, and confirming noble rights.

In 1573, the Warsaw Confederation guaranteed religious tolerance. Voting was usually by majority, but later, a rule called "liberum veto" allowed any representative to block decisions. This rule was removed in 1791 with a new constitution.

Partitions

After Poland lost its independence, different versions of the Sejm existed in areas controlled by Russia, Prussia, and Austria. These versions had little real power.

Congress Poland

In Congress Poland, the Sejm included nobles and other people. Members served six-year terms, and sessions met every two years. The Sejm could vote on civil and administrative issues and control government officials.

Germany and Austria-Hungary

In some areas, like the Free City of Cracow and Galicia, Poles could elect representatives, but these groups had little power.

Second Polish Republic

After World War I, Poland became independent again, and the Sejm returned as an important part of the government. The 1919 Small Constitution and the 1921 March Constitution set up a system where the Sejm had strong powers. In 1939, the Sejm declared Poland's readiness to defend against German forces.

Polish People's Republic

The Sejm in this time had 460 members. On paper, it had big powers, but in practice, it mostly agreed with decisions made by the government party. The Sejm chose important officials and approved budgets and plans.

Third Polish Republic

After 1989, the Sejm became part of a bicameral parliament again, with the Senate as the second house. Today, the Sejm has 460 deputies elected every four years by proportional representation. Deputies are chosen from constituencies based on population, with a threshold for parties to gain seats.

Historical composition of the Sejm

Second Republic (1918–1939)

PRL (1945–1989)

Third Republic (since 1989)

The Sejm has been the main governing body of Poland since 1989. It works with the Senate to help make laws for the country.

Standing committees

The Sejm has several standing committees that look at different areas of work.

Permanent committees

• Administration and Internal Affairs
• Agriculture and Rural Development
• Constitutional Accountability
• Culture and Media
• Deputies' Ethics
• Digitization, Innovation and Modern Technology
• Economy and Development
• Education, Science and Youth
• Energy, Climate and State Assets
• Environment Protection, Natural Resources and Forestry
• European Union Affairs
• Foreign Affairs
• Health
• Infrastructure
• Justice and Human Rights
• Legislative
• Liaison with Poles Abroad
• Local Self-Government and Regional Policy
• Maritime Economy and Inland Navigation
• National and Ethnic Minorities
• National Defense
• Petition
• Physical Education and Sport
• Public Finances
• Rules and Deputies' Affairs
• Senior Policy
• Social Policy and Family
• Special Services
• State Control

Extraordinary committees

• For changes in codification

Investigative committees

• To look into actions taken for the Polish Presidential Elections in 2020
• To look into actions about letting foreigners stay in Poland between 2019 and 2023
• To look into some activities using special software between 2015 and 2023

Current standings

The Sejm is the lower house of Poland's parliament. With the Senate, it forms the National Assembly, Poland's national legislature. Since 1989, the Sejm has been Poland's main governing body.