President of Poland facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids President of the Republic of Poland
Presidential pennant
Incumbent Andrzej Duda since 6 August 2015
Executive branch of the Polish Government
Style	Mr. President (informal) His Excellency (diplomatic)
Member of	National Security Council National Development Council
Residence	Presidential Palace (current) Belweder (alternative)
Appointer	Popular vote
Term length	Five years, renewable once
Constituting instrument	Constitution of Poland (1997)
Precursor	Chief of State
Formation	11 December 1922; 102 years ago (1922-12-11) 19 July 1989; 35 years ago (1989-07-19) (current form)
First holder	Gabriel Narutowicz
Deputy	Marshal of the Sejm
Salary	294,000 zł annually

The President of Poland (Polish: Prezydent RP), officially known as the President of the Republic of Poland (Polish: Prezydent Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej), is the head of state for Poland. Their main roles and responsibilities are clearly explained in the Constitution of Poland, which is Poland's most important law book.

The President works together with the Council of Ministers, led by the Prime Minister, to manage the country. The President has the power to:

Dissolve (close down) both parts of the Polish parliament (the Sejm and the Senate) in special situations.
Veto (say no to) new laws.
Represent Poland on the international stage, acting as the country's main spokesperson to other nations.
Serve as the commander-in-chief of Poland's Armed Forces.

A Look Back: History of the Presidency
How is the President Elected?
What Does the President Do? (Powers and Responsibilities)
Where Does the President Work and Live? (Presidential Properties)
What Happens if the President Can't Serve? (Acting President)
Past Presidents of Poland
See also

A Look Back: History of the Presidency

The office of President in Poland has a rich and sometimes challenging history, reflecting the country's journey through different political periods.

Early Leaders and the First President

The very first President of Poland, Gabriel Narutowicz, took office on 11 December 1922, marking the beginning of the Second Polish Republic. He was chosen by the National Assembly, which is a joint meeting of the Sejm and Senate, following the rules of the 1921 March Constitution. Sadly, President Narutowicz was assassinated just five days later, on 16 December 1922.

Before Narutowicz, a leader named Józef Piłsudski held the title of "Chief of State" (Naczelnik Państwa) under an earlier temporary constitution. In 1926, Piłsudski led a military takeover known as the "May Coup". He overthrew the then-President, Stanisław Wojciechowski, and helped elect Ignacy Mościcki as the new President. This event led to a period known as the "Sanation regime," which was more authoritarian. Before Piłsudski's death, a new, more powerful constitution was passed in 1935, giving the President more authority.

The War Years and Exile

President Mościcki continued in his role until 1939. When Nazi Germany invaded Poland, he resigned and, along with his government, went into exile in Romania. Following Mościcki's resignation, Władysław Raczkiewicz, who was the speaker of the Senate at the time, became President on 29 September 1939, while in France.

After France was occupied during World War II, the President and the Polish government-in-exile moved to London, United Kingdom. This transfer of power followed the rules of the 1935 constitution. Raczkiewicz was followed by several other presidents who led the government-in-exile, with the last one being Ryszard Kaczorowski.

Post-War Changes and Modern Presidency

After World War II, from 1945 to 1954, Poland came under the influence of the Soviet Union. Bolesław Bierut became the head of government and was recognized internationally as the head of state. The Senate was abolished in 1946. In 1947, a new "Small Constitution" was passed, and Bierut was elected President by the Sejm. However, the office of President was later removed by the 1952 Constitution of the Polish People's Republic. Instead, a group leadership called the Council of State (Polish: Rada Państwa) took its place.

The office of President was brought back in 1989 through changes to the constitution. Wojciech Jaruzelski, who was the existing head of state, took office. In Poland's first direct presidential election in 1990, Lech Wałęsa won and was sworn in on 22 December 1990. The role of the President was then fully defined and protected by the Constitution of Poland passed in 1997, which outlines the requirements, duties, and powers of the office today.

The idea of bringing back a single President was a compromise between the government and the opposition in 1989. It was meant to help manage a slow and peaceful political change. In exchange for creating a strong presidency, the ruling party agreed to give up some of its control. The presidency was created alongside the return of a freely elected Senate. The President would be elected by a joint session of both the Sejm and the Senate, allowing opposition representatives to be involved in the election process.

In 1992, a "Small Constitution" was introduced, which made the political system more parliamentary. While the President still had an active role, some of their far-reaching governing powers were reduced. In recent years, newly elected presidents have often formally separated themselves from their political parties before taking office.

How is the President Elected?

The President of Poland is chosen directly by the people through an election. They serve for a term of five years and can be reelected only once.

To win the election, a candidate must receive more than half (an absolute majority) of all the votes. If no candidate achieves this in the first round, a second round of voting is held. In this second round, only the two candidates who received the most votes in the first round can participate.

To become a candidate in the presidential election, a person must:

Be a Polish citizen.
Be at least 35 years old on the day of the first round of the election.
Collect at least 100,000 signatures from registered voters who support their candidacy.

What Does the President Do? (Powers and Responsibilities)

The Presidential Palace in Warsaw. It serves as the official seat of presidency.

The President is considered the highest representative of the state. While not directly stated as an "arbiter" (like in countries such as France), the President plays a very important role in Poland's political system. They have various legal tools to influence other government bodies and the overall political system.

Here are some key powers and responsibilities of the President:

Choosing the Prime Minister: The President has the freedom to choose the Prime Minister. However, in practice, they usually ask a politician from the political party that has the most seats in the Sejm to form a new government.
Influencing Laws: The President can suggest new laws. They can also influence the law-making process by using their veto power to stop a bill from becoming law. However, the Sejm can overrule a presidential veto with a three-fifths majority vote, as long as at least half of its members are present. Before signing a bill into law, the President can also ask the Constitutional Tribunal to check if the bill follows the Constitution. This check often has a big impact on whether a law is passed.
International Relations: As the top representative of Poland, the President has the power to approve and cancel international agreements. They also appoint and recall ambassadors and formally accept the credentials of representatives from other countries.
Awards and Pardons: The President makes decisions on awarding the highest academic titles, as well as state honors and awards. They also have the right of clemency, which means they can dismiss final court verdicts (though in practice, they usually discuss these decisions with the Minister of Justice).
Commander-in-Chief: The President is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. They appoint the chief of the general staff and the commanders of all military branches. In times of war, they nominate the supreme commander of the Armed Forces and can order a general mobilization.

The President carries out their duties with the help of several offices, including the Chancellery of the President, the Office of National Security, and the Body of Advisors to the President.

Where Does the President Work and Live? (Presidential Properties)

The Belweder Palace, often known simply as 'Belvedere', is the traditional (now secondary) official residence of the president.

The Office of the President owns several properties that are used by the head of state. These include official residences, private homes, and places for visiting foreign officials.

The Presidential Palace in Warsaw is the largest palace in Warsaw and has been the official main seat of the President of Poland since 1993. The first President to live there was Lech Wałęsa, who moved in 1994.
Belweder, also in Warsaw, was the official seat of the President until 1993. It is now owned by the Office of the President and serves as a secondary official residence. It's used for ceremonial events by the President and the government, and also hosts heads of state and other important guests visiting Poland.
The Presidential Castle in Wisła is a beautiful château originally built for the Habsburgs as a hunting lodge. It was rebuilt between 1929 and 1931 and used as a recreational residence by President Ignacy Mościcki. Since 2002, it has been a property of the President again, restored and reopened in 2005 by President Kwaśniewski. Today, it serves as a recreational and conference center for the President and also as a hotel.
Other properties include:
- Residence of the President of the Republic of Poland in Lucień
- Manor House of the President of the Republic of Poland in Ciechocinek
- Presidential Residence "Jurata-Hel" in Hel, which is the President's retreat on the Baltic coast.
- Summer residence at the Hel Peninsula
- Presidential Villa in Promnik
- Presidential Villa in Klarysew

What Happens if the President Can't Serve? (Acting President)

The office of the president at the Presidential Palace in Warsaw

The Polish Constitution states that the President is an elected official, and there isn't a direct line of succession like a royal family. If the President is unable to perform their duties, the Marshal of the Sejm (the speaker of the lower house of parliament) takes over the President's powers. They can act as President for a maximum of 60 days, during which time new elections must be called.

A notable example of this happened on 10 April 2010. A plane carrying Polish President Lech Kaczyński, his wife Maria Kaczyńska, and 94 other officials crashed near Smolensk, Russia, with no survivors. Following this tragic event, Bronisław Komorowski, who was the Marshal of the Sejm at the time, immediately took over the acting presidential powers.

On 8 July, after winning the presidential election, Komorowski resigned from his role as Marshal of the Sejm. According to the constitution, the acting president then became the Marshal of the Senate, Bogdan Borusewicz. Later that afternoon, Grzegorz Schetyna was elected as the new Marshal of the Sejm, and he then became the acting President. Schetyna served as the interim head of state until Bronisław Komorowski was officially sworn in as President on 6 August.

Past Presidents of Poland

In Poland, former presidents receive lifetime personal security protection from State Protection Service officers. They also get a substantial pension and a private office.

As mentioned earlier, on 10 April 2010, both the then-President Lech Kaczyński and Ryszard Kaczorowski, the last president-in-exile (whose position was not internationally recognized), died in the Smolensk air disaster.