Marcin Romanowski Received Over 270,000 PLN from the Sejm for His Parliamentary Office

It has been revealed that unaffiliated MP Marcin Romanowski received a total of 270,000 Polish zloty from the Sejm Chancellery over the past year to fund his parliamentary activities. The funds were disbursed as part of the so-called lump sum allowance, a fixed monthly amount granted to every MP to cover the costs of running a parliamentary office. This information was published simultaneously by three portals: Wprost, Business Insider, and gazeta.pl, indicating coordinated journalistic action or the use of the same sources. The amount of 270,000 PLN represents the sum of twelve monthly payments, averaging about 22,500 PLN per month. MPs can use the lump sum funds for a wide range of expenses, including salaries for assistants, office rental and maintenance, purchase of equipment and office supplies, as well as social activities in their electoral district. The system for funding parliamentary offices in Poland has been in place since the early 1990s and aims to provide every MP, regardless of party affiliation, with basic resources for contact with voters and legislative work. The amount of the lump sum is periodically adjusted and is subject to scrutiny by the Supreme Audit Office and the media, which are increasingly scrutinizing politicians' public expenditures. Marcin Romanowski's reaction to the publication was vehement and negative. In a comment for Wprost, the MP described the whole matter as a "manipulation with vile messages," suggesting that the disclosure of what he considers routine financial information aims to discredit him in the eyes of the public. Such a response sheds light on the tense relationship between part of the political class and the media, especially in the context of unaffiliated MPs or those outside the main party streams. Romanowski, a former MP of Solidarna Polska who left that party's parliamentary club, now operates independently, which may make him more sensitive to criticism and prone to perceiving any press reports as personal attacks. „Manipulacja nikczemnymi przekazami” (Manipulation with vile messages) — Marcin Romanowski The issue of funding Romanowski's office is not isolated and fits into a broader, recurring debate about the transparency of public expenditures in the Polish Sejm. This discussion often resurfaces with revelations concerning the amounts of lump sums, costs of printed materials, or foreign trips. While for some it is an element of necessary public oversight over the spending of taxpayers' money, for some politicians it constitutes a form of pressure and unjustified interference in their work. In the case of MP Romanowski, the information about receiving 270,000 PLN does not indicate any breach of regulations or law, but merely shows the standard funding mechanism used by every parliamentarian. Nevertheless, the tone of his reaction and the fact that three media outlets decided to publish this information on the same day give the matter the character of a media event that goes beyond ordinary reporting of administrative facts.