Scandal over 'Polityka' cover. Karol Nawrocki and Szymon Hołownia strike back at the weekly

The latest issue of the weekly 'Polityka' has caused a wave of outrage among the country's most important figures. The editorial board, illustrating an article about the costly benefit system for uniformed services, placed photos of Marta Nawrocka (the President's wife) and Urszula Brzezińska-Hołownia (the former Marshal's wife) on the cover. An article by Joanna Solska warns that military pensions cost the state budget over PLN 30 billion annually. Both women retired before the age of 40 after many years of service in the military and the National Revenue Administration. Szymon Hołownia sharply criticized the publication, emphasizing that his wife served for 19 years as a MiG-29 fighter pilot, risking her life during combat duty. President Karol Nawrocki, while remaining calmer, stated that the authors of the article require God's forgiveness, and voters should remember this behavior by the media. The pension system for uniformed services in Poland has been the subject of public debate for years due to the low retirement age threshold compared to the universal ZUS system. At the same time, the parliamentary Parliamentary Ethics Commission decided to sanction Prime Minister Donald Tusk. The case concerns an incident from November 2025, when the head of government called PiS MP Bartosz Kownacki a "clown". Although the Prime Minister felt provoked by the MP's behavior, who was recording him with a phone, the commission ruled that such a reaction is unbecoming of a person holding a high state office. Representatives of PiS, Confederation, and PSL voted in favor of the sanction, which may suggest emerging cracks within the ruling coalition. „Moja żona służyła krajowi przez 19 lat. Jej jedyną winą jest to, że jest moją żoną. Wstydzę się za dziennikarzy, którzy to robią.” (My wife served the country for 19 years. Her only fault is that she is my wife. I am ashamed of the journalists who do this.) — Szymon Hołownia A tense atmosphere also surrounds the Ministry of Climate and Environment. The Confederation parliamentary club has officially submitted a motion of no confidence against Paulina Hennig-Kloska. Krzysztof Bosak called the minister a "disaster", accusing her of climate fanaticism and incompetence in managing the deposit-refund system. Additional tension is fueled by a dispute between MP Bartosz Romowicz and the minister, who accuses her of lying about concealing information about his court proceedings.