Marcin Romanowski will not receive a parliamentary allowance. The Act clearly states that the allowance is measures related to the performance of the mandate by a Member of Parliament in the country, said the Marshal of the Sejm, Szymon Hołownia, after the meeting of the Presidium of the Sejm. He added that the PiS MP is also not entitled to a salary because he waived it. – There remains a third component of the money that the MP receives, i.e. a lump sum for the maintenance of the MP's office – he noted. As Hołownia explained, the MP will receive this money, but “until the Sejm adopts an amendment to the Act on the exercise of the mandate of a deputy and senator.” This has already been referred to the committee.
On Tuesday, the Presidium of the Sejm met to discuss, among others: about the case PiS MPformer deputy head of the Ministry of Justice, Marcin Romanowski, a suspect in the investigation into the Justice Fund, who received political asylum Hungary. Last week, the MP announced that he had “renounced his status as a professional MP” and would therefore not receive parliamentary remuneration. Romanowski is suspected of a number of crimes, including participation in an organized criminal group.
Meanwhile, on December 31, the Polish 2050 project was submitted to the Sejm – at the initiative of a group of KO MPs PSL – a draft amendment to the Act on the exercise of the mandate of a deputy and senator. It assumes that a parliamentarian against whom a decision to apply temporary arrest has been issued will not be able to, among other things, benefit from the right to remuneration or parliamentary allowance.
Romanowski “will not receive a parliamentary allowance”
After the meeting of the Presidium of the Sejm, the Marshal Szymon Hołownia was asked by journalists about the fate of this amendment.
– I have referred this draft amendment for first reading to the Rules and Deputies' Affairs Committee and I understand that it will be developed there. I don't know if the committee will be able to get this one done at this Sejm legislative process finished, but it has been taken and will be continued, he said.
According to him, “the matter with Mr. Romanowski is clear.” – He fled the country, but remains an MP. No one deprived him of his mandate, nor did he resign from it himself. However, he decided and announced publicly that he would not exercise his mandate as a deputy in the territory of the Republic of Poland in any way. Therefore, since this is his statement, we in the Presidium of the Sejm, me as the Marshal, simply have to draw consequences from the decision the MP made – he said.
– These consequences are very simple. Mr. Romanowski will not receive a parliamentary allowance, because the Act on the exercise of the mandate of a deputy and senator clearly states that the allowance is funds related to the exercise of the mandate by a deputy in the country. Due to the above, the diet is not eligible – he explained.
In turn, “you are not entitled to the emolument because Mr. Romanowski waived it.”
– There remains a third component of the money that the MP receives, i.e. a lump sum for the maintenance of the MP's office. And here the MP will continue to receive it until the Sejm adopts (…) an amendment to the Act on the exercise of the mandate of a Member of Parliament and a Senator. And then the Speaker of the Sejm assumes the rights of the employer towards the MP's employees employed in the office – the Chancellery of the Sejm covers the expenses related to the office and the contracts that have been concluded – Hołownia continued.
As he emphasized, “the MP no longer receives any money, everything happens via the Sejm chancellery.”
He added that the MP can still submit interpellations, because such rights of the MP result from the constitution, but – said Hołownia – “he will not receive any remuneration”.
“Thanks to MP Romanowski, we are dealing with a new situation”
– All this is related to the fact that so far we have had a very clear legal description of what happens when an MP is temporarily arrested and therefore deprived of his liberty. And here it is very clear. A deputy who has been temporarily arrested is in custody, does not receive parliamentary emoluments, and the Sejm chancellery takes over the running of his parliamentary office. But thanks to Mr Romanowski, we are dealing with a new situation. The court arrested him temporarily, but he escaped from arrest. And today we must fill this legal gap, said the Marshal.
– As for December, (…) the Chancellery of the Sejm submitted a request to the Social Insurance Institution for an inspection sick leave Mr Romanowski. I would like us to be absolutely sure that everything here was as it should be, lege artis, in accordance with the law, in accordance with the standards we expect from every Polish parliamentarian – added Hołownia.
Hołownia: thanks to Mr Romanowski, we are dealing with a new situationTVN24
Main photo source: TVN24