Polish Council of State facts for kids

The Council of State of Poland was a very important government group in Poland for many years. It was first created in 1947. Think of it like a special committee that helped run the country.

At first, the Council of State included the President of Poland, the head of the Polish Parliament (called the Marshal of the Sejm), and other important people. This group had several jobs. They could approve new laws from the government, check on local councils, and even declare a state of emergency if there was a big problem. They also helped start new laws.

In 1952, Poland changed its government rules. The job of President was removed, and the Council of State became the main leader of the country, but as a group, not just one person.

What Was the Council of State?

After 1952, the Council of State had 17 members. These included a chairman (the main leader), four deputy chairmen (like vice-leaders), a secretary, and eleven other members. All these people were chosen by the Sejm (the Polish Parliament) from its own members.

Most of the time, the members were from the main political party, the Polish United Workers' Party. But sometimes, other members of Parliament were chosen too. Even though it was a group, the chairman of the Council of State often acted like the main representative of Poland to other countries. People sometimes even called the chairman the "President of Poland" when talking to people from other nations.

What Did the Council Do?

The Council of State had many important jobs:

• It approved or canceled agreements with other countries.
• It chose and removed Poland's representatives to other countries and international groups.
• It gave out special awards and had the power to pardon people (forgive them for crimes).
• It called for elections to the Sejm and started its meetings.
• It could make new laws when the Sejm was not meeting. These laws had to be approved by the Sejm later.
• It helped start new laws.
• It explained what the laws passed by the Sejm meant.

When the Sejm was not meeting (which was most of the year), the Council of State could make temporary laws. These laws were usually approved by the Sejm later without much discussion. This was because of how the government worked back then.

When Did the Council End?

The Council of State was removed on July 19, 1989. This happened when Poland changed its government again. Some of its jobs were given to the new office of the President of Poland, which was brought back.

Chairmen of the Council of State

Here are the people who led the Council of State as its chairman:

• Aleksander Zawadzki (1952–1964)
• Edward Ochab (1964–1968)
• Marian Spychalski (1968–1970)
• Józef Cyrankiewicz (1970–1972)
• Henryk Jabłoński (1972–1985)
• Wojciech Jaruzelski (1985–1989)

Images for kids

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  A meeting of the Council of State during the 1960s