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| | The current government structure consists of a council of ministers led by a Prime Minister, typically chosen from the majority coalition in the bicameral legislature's lower house (Sejm). The president, elected every five years for no more than two terms, is the head of state and commander-in-chief of the armed forces. The judicial branch plays a minor role in decision-making. | | The current government structure consists of a council of ministers led by a Prime Minister, typically chosen from the majority coalition in the bicameral legislature's lower house (Sejm). The president, elected every five years for no more than two terms, is the head of state and commander-in-chief of the armed forces. The judicial branch plays a minor role in decision-making. |
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| − | The parliament consists of the 460-member Sejm and the 100-member Senat, or upper house. The new constitution and the reformed administrative division (as of 1999) required a revision of the election ordinance (passed in April 2001). The most important changes were liquidation of a national list (all deputies are elected by voters in electoral districts) and introduction of a new method of calculating seats (the modified St. Lague method replaced the d'Hondt method, thus eliminating the premium for the top parties). The law stipulated that with the exception of guaranteed seats for small ethnic parties, only parties receiving at least 5% of the total vote could enter parliament. | + | The parliament consists of the 460-member Sejm and the 100-member Senat, or upper house. The new constitution and the reformed administrative division (as of 1999) required a revision of the election ordinance (passed in April 2001). The most important changes were the liquidation of a national list (all deputies are elected by voters in electoral districts) and introduction of a new method of calculating seats (the modified St. Lague method replaced the d'Hondt method, thus eliminating the premium for the top parties). The law stipulated that with the exception of guaranteed seats for small ethnic parties, only parties receiving at least 5% of the total vote could enter parliament. |
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| | Parties represented in the newly elected (October 2015) Sejm are [[Law and Justice]] (PiS), [[Civic Platform]] (PO), Kukiz'15 (K'15), Nowoczesna Ryszarda Petru (.N), and Polish Peasant Party (PSL) There is also one representative of the German Minority and some non-allied members of Parliament. | | Parties represented in the newly elected (October 2015) Sejm are [[Law and Justice]] (PiS), [[Civic Platform]] (PO), Kukiz'15 (K'15), Nowoczesna Ryszarda Petru (.N), and Polish Peasant Party (PSL) There is also one representative of the German Minority and some non-allied members of Parliament. |
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| | Poland has has repeatedly ruled out joining the EU common currency. In October 2022 the Polish Constitutional Tribunal declared that Articles 1, 2, and 4 clauses 3 and 19 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU) are incompatible with the Polish Constitution and warned the European Union not to interfere with its [[sovereignty]]. | | Poland has has repeatedly ruled out joining the EU common currency. In October 2022 the Polish Constitutional Tribunal declared that Articles 1, 2, and 4 clauses 3 and 19 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU) are incompatible with the Polish Constitution and warned the European Union not to interfere with its [[sovereignty]]. |
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| − | Andrew Korybko noted in ''NATO’s Proposed ‘Military Schengen’ Is A Thinly Disguised German Power Play Over Poland'' aimed at taking advantage of Donald Tusk’s return to the premiership to subordinate Poland as a [[German]] [[proxy]]. Conservative-nationalist opposition leader [[Jaroslaw Kaczynski]] accused Tusk of being a “German agent” due to his close ties with Germany and warned that he’s plotting to surrender Polish [[sovereignty]] to it.<ref>https://themessenger.com/news/poland-prime-minister-donald-tusk-elected-german-agent</ref> | + | Andrew Korybko noted in ''NATO’s Proposed ‘Military Schengen’ Is A Thinly Disguised German Power Play Over Poland'' aimed at taking advantage of Donald Tusk’s return to the premiership to subordinate Poland as a [[German]] [[proxy]]. Conservative-nationalist opposition leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski accused Tusk of being a “German agent” due to his close ties with Germany and warned that he’s plotting to surrender Polish [[sovereignty]] to it.<ref>https://themessenger.com/news/poland-prime-minister-donald-tusk-elected-german-agent</ref> |
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| | === Principal Government Officials === | | === Principal Government Officials === |