Szymon Hołownia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Szymon Hołownia
Hołownia in 2022
Marshal of the Sejm
In office 13 November 2023 – 18 November 2025
President	Andrzej Duda Karol Nawrocki
Preceded by	Elżbieta Witek
Succeeded by	Włodzimierz Czarzasty
Member of the Sejm
Incumbent
Assumed office 13 November 2023
Constituency	24 – Białystok
Personal details
Born	(1976-09-03) 3 September 1976 (age 49) Białystok, Poland
Political party	Poland 2050 (2020–present)
Other political affiliations	Third Way (2023–2025)
Spouse	Urszula Brzezińska-Hołownia ​ (m. 2016)​
Children	2

Szymon Franciszek Hołownia (born 3 September 1976) is a well-known Polish politician and television personality. He served as the Marshal of the Sejm (which is like the speaker of the parliament) from November 2023 to November 2025.

Before his political career, he was famous for co-hosting Mam talent!, the Polish version of the popular show Got Talent, from 2008 to 2019. He is also the leader of the Poland 2050 political party. He ran for president in both the 2020 and 2025 Polish presidential elections.

In the 2023 Polish parliamentary election, he was elected to the Sejm to represent the Białystok area. He was part of the Third Way political group.

Szymon Hołownia: A Look at His Career

Early Life and Education

Szymon Hołownia was born in Białystok, Poland, on September 3, 1976. He attended the Social High School in Białystok. Later, he studied psychology at the Warsaw School of Social Psychology, but he did not complete his degree.

A Career in Journalism

Szymon Hołownia started his career in journalism. From 1997 to 2000, he worked as an editor for Gazeta Wyborcza. He then became a columnist and editor for Newsweek Polska from 2001 to 2004.

He also worked for other important newspapers like Ozon and Rzeczpospolita. He wrote for many magazines, including Kultura Popularna and Tygodnik Powszechny. He also hosted radio programs and worked with Radio Białystok and Radio Vox FM.

Szymon Hołownia has written twenty books. These books cover topics about society and religion.

From TV Host to Public Figure

Szymon Hołownia in 2017

Many people know Szymon Hołownia from his television work. He was the co-host of Mam talent! (the Polish Got Talent) on TVN for many years, from 2008 to 2019.

He also hosted other TV shows. In 2006, he presented "Po prostu pytam" (meaning "I'm just asking") on TVP1. From 2007 to 2012, he was a program director for Religia.tv. There, he hosted shows like "Między sklepami" ("Between Stores") and "Bóg w wielkim mieście" ("God in the Big City"). He also hosted a press review segment on the morning show Dzień Dobry TVN.

Helping Others: Humanitarian Work

Szymon Hołownia in 2012

Szymon Hołownia is very active in humanitarian work. He founded the Białystok branch of the "Pomoc Maltańska" foundation. In 2013, he started the "Kasisi" foundation. The next year, he created the "Dobra Fabryka" foundation.

Through "Dobra Fabryka", aid has reached people in countries like Bangladesh, Mauritania, Rwanda, Burkina Faso, and Senegal. This foundation helps about 40,000 people every year. The "Kasisi" foundation supports the largest orphanage in Zambia, which is home to over two hundred children.

Hołownia is a strong supporter of children's rights. In 2019, he organized a fundraiser on Facebook that collected a lot of money. This money helped a 24-hour helpline for children and youth to continue operating for another year. He also helped create the Pomocni.info website, which offers support to people facing difficult life situations.

He was also an ambassador for the UN Sustainable Development Goals. These goals aim to create a better and more sustainable future for everyone.

Stepping into Politics

Szymon Hołownia decided to enter politics and announced his candidacy for president in December 2019. His campaign focused on important topics like national security, environmental protection, and supporting local governments.

Presidential Campaigns

In the 2020 Polish presidential election, he received 2,693,397 votes, which was 13.9% of all votes. He came in third place among eleven candidates. After this election, he started a new political movement called Poland 2050 Movement.

He also ran in the 2025 Polish presidential election. In this election, he received 4.99% of the votes, placing fifth out of thirteen candidates.

Leading a Political Party

Szymon Hołownia became the leader of the Poland 2050 political party. He served as the Marshal of the Sejm from November 2023 until November 2025. His term as Marshal ended on November 13, 2025, as planned by the coalition agreement.

In September, he announced that he would step down as the party leader of Poland 2050 in January. He also applied for a role at the United Nations. A poll conducted shortly after his resignation showed that many Poles considered him the best Sejm Marshal.

Views on Important Issues

Hołownia and Jacek Żakowski in Warsaw, 2023

Szymon Hołownia believes in parliamentary democracy, where people elect representatives to make decisions. He supports the rule of law, which means everyone must follow the law. He also emphasizes the importance of civil society and the separation of powers in government.

He believes the Constitution of Poland is the most important law. He supports Poland's membership in NATO and the European Union. He also wants Poland to have good relationships with Ukraine and the Baltic states.

Hołownia has suggested holding a public vote to increase funding for health care in Poland. He believes Poland should spend more of its money on healthcare. He also wants to improve public transportation, especially connecting rural areas with larger cities.

He supports making state-owned companies less political. He also wants to create a National Climate Council to help Poland achieve climate neutrality by 2050. This includes moving away from coal energy and using more renewable and nuclear energy.

Hołownia supports expanding public housing and lowering bank costs to help people afford homes. He also believes in increasing military spending, but he wants half of that spending to happen within Poland. He supports a ban on phones in primary schools.

Personal Life

Szymon Hołownia is married to Urszula Brzezińska-Hołownia. She is a pilot of a Mikoyan MiG-29 jet fighter and a first lieutenant in the Polish Air Force. They have two daughters named Maria and Elżbieta.

He is a Roman Catholic. Before he got married, Hołownia was part of the Dominican Order twice. He is also a vegetarian.

Awards and Recognition

Szymon Hołownia has received several awards for his work. He won the Grand Press award twice: once in 2006 for an interview and again in 2007 for specialist journalism.

In 2004, he received the Business Center Club Press Prize. He was also awarded the Ślad Award in 2007. In 2011, he won the Wiktor award in the Wiktor Audience category. In 2008, he received the MediaTory award from journalism students. In 2016, the Ombudsman for Children gave him an Honorary Medal for his work in protecting children's rights.

How He Voted

Here's a summary of Szymon Hołownia's results in presidential elections:

See also

• List of Polish politicians
• 2023 Polish parliamentary election