Nawrocki and Hołownia Slam 'Polityka' for Publication About Their Wives

The publication by the weekly 'Polityka' has become the flashpoint for a fierce conflict between media and politicians, uniting presidential and parliamentary camps in a rare agreement. The editorial board, illustrating Joanna Solska's material on the costs of the uniformed services pension system, juxtaposed photos of Marta Nawrocka and Urszula Brzezińska-Hołownia with their ages and a note about their pension status. The article warns that spending on uniformed pensions exceeds 30 billion złoty annually, and the system encourages overly early retirement by qualified officers and soldiers. The uniformed services pension system in Poland, significantly changed in 2013, allows retirement after 15 or 25 years of service, which has long been controversial in the context of generally raising the retirement age for other citizens. President Karol Nawrocki, breaking his silence, reacted to the matter with considerable personal distance but ideological firmness. He emphasized that his wife served for nearly two decades in a special unit and in the National Revenue Administration, and her work record was fully reliable. Nawrocki pointedly stated that the authors of the publication 'should be forgiven by God,' which was interpreted as an attempt to rise above the immediate political dispute. Meanwhile, Szymon Hołownia called the editorial board's action an 'extremely disgusting ploy.' He defended his wife, noting that as a MiG-29 fighter pilot for 19 years, she risked her life, being a key link in the country's defense. „Wstydźcie się. Uleńko, przepraszam, że z mojego powodu musisz przez to przechodzić. Wara od naszych żon i bliskich.” (Shame on you. Uleńko, I'm sorry that because of me you have to go through this. Stay away from our wives and loved ones.) — Szymon Hołownia Former First Lady Jolanta Kwaśniewska also joined the discussion, expressing in an interview surprise at Marta Nawrocka's stance but also congratulating her on the courage to step out of her husband's shadow. Kwaśniewska's statement, though more nuanced, fit into the broader context of the debate about the role of politicians' wives in public space. On social media, the case caused polarization – some commentators defend the press's right to scrutinize public finances, while others point out that attacking politicians' families through their legally acquired pension entitlements is a form of stigmatizing uniformed service. 30 mld zł — annually is the cost of the uniformed pension system to the budget This dispute has also revived the discussion about media freedom and the privacy boundaries of public figures. The 'Polityka' editorial board defends its position, arguing that the wives of leading politicians, benefiting from privileges funded by taxpayers, are a legitimate subject of journalistic interest. Nevertheless, the sharp reaction from both politicians, traditionally on opposite sides of the barricade, shows that the topic of families has become a 'red line' in the Polish public debate of 2026.