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Thegovernment ofPoland takes the form of aunitarysemi-presidentialrepresentative democraticrepublic, whereby thepresident is thehead of state and theprime minister is thehead of government.[1][2][3][4][5]
Executive power is exercised, within the framework of amulti-party system, by the president and the Government, which consists of theCouncil of Ministers led by the prime minister. Its members are typically chosen from the majority party or coalition, in the lower house of parliament (theSejm), although exceptions to this rule are not uncommon. The government is formally announced by the president, and must pass amotion of confidence in theSejm within two weeks.
Legislative power is vested in the two chambers of parliament,Sejm andSenate. Members of Sejm are elected by proportional representation, with the provision that non-ethnic-minority parties must gain at least 5% of the national vote to enter the lower house. Currently five parties are represented. Parliamentary elections occur at least every four years.
Thepresident, as thehead of state, is the supreme commander of theArmed Forces, has the power to veto legislation passed by parliament, which may be overridden by a majority of three fifths, and can dissolve the parliament under certain conditions.[2][3][4] Presidential elections occur every five years. When a majority of voters support the same candidate, that candidate is declared the winner, while when there is no majority, the top two candidates participate in a runoff election.
The political system is defined in thePolish Constitution, which also guarantees a wide range of individual freedoms. Thejudicial branch plays a minor role in politics, apart from theConstitutional Tribunal, which can annul laws that violate the freedoms guaranteed in the constitution.
The prime minister proposes, the president appoints, and theSejm approves the Council of Ministers (cabinet). The president is elected by popular vote for a five-year term, while the prime minister and deputy prime ministers (if any) are appointed by the president and confirmed by theSejm.
TheCouncil of Ministers is responsible to the prime minister and theSejm. The president, on behalf of the prime minister, appoints and dismisses ministers, and theSejm can vote out ministers or the whole cabinet via amotion of no confidence. A motion to dismiss the whole cabinet must name a replacement candidate for prime minister.
Ministerial posts, except for theMinister of Justice and theMinister of National Defense, are not named in statutory law - the composition of the cabinet and competences of ministers are decided by the prime minister.
| Office | Name | Party | Since |
|---|---|---|---|
| President | Karol Nawrocki | Independent (Law And Justice) | 6 August 2025 |
| Prime Minister | Donald Tusk | Civic Platform | 13 December 2023 |
The president is elected by terms; as head of state, supreme commander of theArmed Forces, and supreme representative of the Republic of Poland. The president has the right to veto legislation, although veto may be overridden by the assembly with a three-fifths majority vote.[2][3] The president, as representative of the state in foreign affairs, shall ratify and renounce international agreements, appoint and recall the plenipotentiary representatives of the Republic of Poland and shall cooperate with the prime minister and the appropriate minister in respect of foreign policy. As Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, the president shall appoint thechief of the General Staff and commanders of branches of the Armed Forces.
The president may, regarding particular matters, convene theCabinet Council, although it does not possess the competence of the Council of Ministers. Official acts of the president shall require, for their validity, the signature of the prime minister, nevertheless this does not apply to:
| Office | Name | Party | Since |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marshal of the Senate | Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska | Civic Platform | 13 November 2023 |
| Marshal of the Sejm | Włodzimierz Czarzasty | New Left | 18 November 2025 |
ThePolish Parliament has twochambers. Thelower chamber (Sejm) has 460 members, elected for a four-year term byproportional representation in multi-seatconstituencies using thed'Hondt method similar to that used in many parliamentary political systems, with a 5% threshold (8% for coalitions, threshold waived for national minorities). TheSenate (Senat) has 100 members elected for a four-year term under the single member, one-roundfirst-past-the-post voting method. When sitting in joint session, members of the Sejm and Senate form the National Assembly, (PolishZgromadzenie Narodowe).
The National Assembly is formed on three occasions: Taking the oath of office by a new president, bringing an indictment against the president of the republic to theTribunal of State, and declaration of a President's permanent incapacity to exercise their duties due to the state of their health. Only the first kind has occurred to date. Since 1991 elections are supervised by theNational Electoral Commission (Państwowa Komisja Wyborcza), whose administrative division is called theNational Electoral Office (Krajowe Biuro Wyborcze).
Together with the tribunals, courts form part of the judiciary in Poland.[6] Among the bodies that administer the justice system, the following are distinguished:[7]
Moreover, in times of war, the Constitution allows for the establishment ofextraordinary courts or the establishment of an ad hoc procedure.[8] Court proceedings have at least two instances.[9] The main laws regulating the operation of the judiciary are:
Judges are appointed by the president, at the request of the National Council of the Judiciary, for an indefinite period.[10] They cannot belong to political parties or trade unions,[11] are independent, and are subject only to the Constitution and statutes.[12] They are entitled to immunity and personal inviolability.[13] Judges are also irremovable[14] and their removal from office or suspension requires a court decision.[15] The participation of other citizens in the administration of justice[clarification needed] is defined by law[16] and boils down to the application of the system of a lay judge in the first instance in common and military courts.[17]
The Supreme Court (Supreme Court) is a supervisory body over common and military courts.[18] It is headed by the first president of the Supreme Court, appointed for a six-year term by the president of the Republic of Poland, from among candidates presented by the General Assembly of the Supreme Court of Justice.[19] Until 2018, the court was divided into four chambers: Civil, Criminal, Military and Labour, Social Security and Public Affairs. Since 2018, there are chambers: Civil, Criminal, Labour and Social Security, Extraordinary Control and Public Affairs, and Disciplinary. Apart from the General Assembly, the second body of judicial self-government is the College of the Supreme Court.[20]
The common judiciary has three tiers.[21] Its structure consists of district, regional and appellate courts.[21] Common courts rule on criminal, civil, labor, economic and family law.[21] Until 2001, there were also misdemeanor colleges, but the Constitution abolished their functioning.[21]
Military courts are criminal courts, ruling primarily on crimes committed by soldiers on active military service.[22] The structure of the military judiciary is made up of garrison courts and military district courts.[22] The Criminal Chamber (until 2018, including the Military Chamber) of the Supreme Court acts as the second instance or court of cassation.[21]
Administrative judiciary already existed in the Second Polish Republic, but it was abolished after World War II.[23] Its gradual restoration began in 1980 with the creation of the Supreme Administrative Court (NSA).[21] The current Constitution introduced the principle of two-instance procedures, which resulted in the establishment of voivodeship administrative courts adjudicating in the first instance. Administrative courts control the legality of administrative decisions, both against the governmental and self-governmental authorities.[24] The president of the Supreme Administrative Court is appointed by the president for a six-year term, from among the candidates nominated by the General Assembly of Judges of the Supreme Administrative Court.[25]
The National Council of the Judiciary is a body established to protect the independence of courts and judges.[26] He submits applications to the president to appoint judges.[10] It has the right to apply to the Constitutional Tribunal in matters relating to the compliance of normative acts with the Constitution in the area relating to the judiciary.[27] The National Council of the Judiciary consists of:[28] the first president of the Supreme Court, the minister of justice, the president of the Supreme Administrative Court, a person appointed by the president, 15 judges of the Supreme Court, common, administrative and military courts, four deputies and two senators. The term of office of elected members is four years.[29] The chairman and two of his deputies are elected from among the members of the Council.[30]
2023 parliamentary elections
 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party or alliance | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | |||
| United Right | Law and Justice | 6,286,250 | 29.11 | 157 | −30 | ||
| Sovereign Poland | 465,024 | 2.15 | 18 | +8 | |||
| The Republicans | 99,373 | 0.46 | 4 | +3 | |||
| Kukiz'15[a] | 74,959 | 0.35 | 2 | New | |||
| Independents | 715,248 | 3.31 | 13 | −8 | |||
| Total | 7,640,854 | 35.38 | 194 | −41 | |||
| Civic Coalition | Civic Platform | 4,992,932 | 23.12 | 122 | +20 | ||
| Modern | 375,776 | 1.74 | 6 | −2 | |||
| Polish Initiative | 252,021 | 1.17 | 3 | +1 | |||
| The Greens | 67,392 | 0.31 | 3 | 0 | |||
| AGROunia | 53,571 | 0.25 | 1 | New | |||
| Good Movement | 8,254 | 0.04 | 0 | New | |||
| Independents | 879,645 | 4.07 | 22 | +3 | |||
| Total | 6,629,402 | 30.70 | 157 | +23 | |||
| Third Way | Poland 2050 | 1,561,542 | 7.23 | 33 | New | ||
| Polish People's Party | 1,189,629 | 5.51 | 28 | +9 | |||
| Centre for Poland | 70,117 | 0.32 | 3 | +3 | |||
| Union of European Democrats | 21,056 | 0.10 | 0 | −1 | |||
| Independents and others | 268,326 | 1.24 | 1 | −9 | |||
| Total | 3,110,670 | 14.40 | 65 | +35 | |||
| The Left | New Left | 1,199,503 | 5.55 | 19 | −19 | ||
| Left Together | 453,730 | 2.10 | 7 | +1 | |||
| Independents and others | 205,785 | 0.95 | 0 | −5 | |||
| Total | 1,859,018 | 8.61 | 26 | −23 | |||
| Confederation | New Hope | 551,901 | 2.56 | 6 | +3 | ||
| Confederation[b] | 341,188 | 1.58 | 7 | +4 | |||
| National Movement | 199,149 | 0.92 | 0 | −5 | |||
| Confederation of the Polish Crown | 182,573 | 0.85 | 2 | New | |||
| Agreement[c] | 3,568 | 0.02 | 0 | −16 | |||
| Independents and others | 268,985 | 1.25 | 3 | +3 | |||
| Total | 1,547,364 | 7.16 | 18 | -9[d] | |||
| Nonpartisan Local Government Activists | 401,054 | 1.86 | 0 | 0 | |||
| There is One Poland | 351,099 | 1.63 | 0 | New | |||
| German Minority | 25,778 | 0.12 | 0 | −1 | |||
| Peace and Prosperity Movement | 24,850 | 0.12 | 0 | New | |||
| Normal Country | 4,606 | 0.02 | 0 | New | |||
| Anti-party | 1,156 | 0.01 | 0 | New | |||
| Repair Poland Movement | 823 | 0.00 | 0 | New | |||
| Total | 21,596,863 | 100.00 | 460 | 0 | |||
| Valid votes | 21,596,674 | 98.31 | |||||
| Invalid/blank votes | 370,217 | 1.69 | |||||
| Total votes | 21,966,891 | 100.00 | |||||
| Registered voters/turnout | 29,532,595 | 74.38 | |||||
| Source:National Electoral Commission,National Electoral Commission | |||||||
2025 presidential election
| Candidate | Party | First round | Second round | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Votes | % | |||
| Rafał Trzaskowski | Civic Coalition (PO) | 6,147,797 | 31.36 | 10,237,286 | 49.11 | |
| Karol Nawrocki | Independent (PiS) | 5,790,804 | 29.54 | 10,606,877 | 50.89 | |
| Sławomir Mentzen | Confederation (New Hope) | 2,902,448 | 14.81 | |||
| Grzegorz Braun | Polish Crown | 1,242,917 | 6.34 | |||
| Szymon Hołownia | Third Way (Poland 2050) | 978,901 | 4.99 | |||
| Adrian Zandberg | Partia Razem | 952,832 | 4.86 | |||
| Magdalena Biejat | Independent (The Left) | 829,361 | 4.23 | |||
| Krzysztof Stanowski | Independent | 243,479 | 1.24 | |||
| Joanna Senyszyn | Independent (SLD) | 214,198 | 1.09 | |||
| Marek Jakubiak | Free Republicans | 150,698 | 0.77 | |||
| Artur Bartoszewicz | Independent | 95,640 | 0.49 | |||
| Maciej Maciak | Independent (RDiP) | 36,371 | 0.19 | |||
| Marek Woch | Bezpartyjni Samorządowcy | 18,338 | 0.09 | |||
| Total | 19,603,784 | 100.00 | 20,844,163 | 100.00 | ||
| Valid votes | 19,603,784 | 99.56 | 20,844,163 | 99.10 | ||
| Invalid/blank votes | 85,813 | 0.44 | 189,294 | 0.90 | ||
| Total votes | 19,689,597 | 100.00 | 21,033,457 | 100.00 | ||
| Registered voters/turnout | 29,252,340 | 67.31 | 29,363,722 | 71.63 | ||
| Source:PKWPoland Elects | ||||||
Poland's topnational security goal is to further integrate withNATO and otherwest European defense, economic, and political institutions via a modernization and reorganization of its military. Polish military doctrine reflects the same defense nature as its NATO partners.
The combined[31] Polish army consists of ~164,000[32] active duty personnel and in addition 234,000 reserves.In 2009 the Armed Forces transformed into a fully professional organization and compulsory military service was abolished. Personnel levels and organization in the different branches are as follows (2004):
The Polish military continues to restructure and to modernize its equipment. The Polish Defense Ministry General Staff and the Land Forces staff have recently reorganized the latter into a NATO-compatible J/G-1 through J/G-6 structure. Budget constraints hamper such priority defense acquisitions as a multi-role fighter, improved communications systems, and an attack helicopter.
Poland continues to be a regional leader in support and participation in the NATO Partnership for Peace Program and has actively engaged most of its neighbors and other regional actors to build stable foundations for future European security arrangements. Poland continues its long record of strong support forUnited Nations peacekeeping operations; it maintaining a unit in Southern Lebanon (part of theUnited Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, a battalion in NATO'sKosovo Force (KFOR), and providing and actually deploying the KFOR strategic reserve to Kosovo. Poland is a strong ally of the US in Europe, and it led theMultinational Division Central-South inIraq in the 2000s.
TheState Protection Service (Polish: Służba Ochrony Państwa, SOP) is Poland's equivalent of the Secret Service in the United States, providing antiterrorism and VIP security detail services for the government.[33]
Poland is divided in 16 provinces or Voivodeships (województwa, singular –województwo):Lower Silesia,Kuyavia-Pomerania,Łódzkie,Lubelskie,Lubuskie,Lesser Poland,Masovian,Opolskie,Subcarpathia,Podlaskie,Pomerania,Silesia,Świętokrzyskie,Warmia-Masuria,Greater Poland andWest Pomerania.
Poland wields considerable influence inCentral andEastern Europe and is amiddle power in international affairs. The foreign policy of Poland is based on four basic commitments: to Atlantic co-operation, to European integration, to international development and to international law. Since the collapse of communism and its re-establishment as a democratic nation, Poland has extended its responsibilities and position in European and Western affairs, supporting and establishing friendly foreign relations with both the West and with numerous European countries.
Due to its tragic historical experience with aggression of powerful neighbors (e.g.,Partitions of Poland,Second World War), Polish foreign policy pursues close cooperation with a strong partner, one apt enough to give strong military support in times of critical situations. This creates the background of Poland's tight relations with the United States.[neutrality isdisputed]At the same time, the equally burdened attitude towardsRussia results in very tense diplomatic relations, which have been constantly worsening sinceVladimir Putin's rise to power. This is an important factor for the special attention Poland pays to the political emancipation of all its Eastern neighbors: Lithuania,Belarus and Ukraine.[citation needed]
Duhamel has developed the approach further: He stresses that the French construction does not correspond to either parliamentary or the presidential form of government, and then develops the distinction of 'système politique' and 'régime constitutionnel'. While the former comprises the exercise of power that results from the dominant institutional practice, the latter is the totality of the rules for the dominant institutional practice of the power. In this way, France appears as 'presidentialist system' endowed with a 'semi-presidential regime' (1983: 587). By this standard he recognizes Duverger'spléiade as semi-presidential regimes, as well as Poland, Romania, Bulgaria and Lithuania (1993: 87).
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{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal= (help)Even if the president has no discretion in the forming of cabinets or the right to dissolve parliament, his or her constitutional authority can be regarded as 'quite considerable' in Duverger's sense if cabinet legislation approved in parliament can be blocked by the people's elected agent. Such powers are especially relevant if an extraordinary majority is required to override a veto, as in Mongolia, Poland, and Senegal. In these cases, while the government is fully accountable to parliament, it cannot legislate without taking the potentially different policy preferences of the president into account.
{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal= (help){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)