Marcin Horała elected Polish Sejm deputy marshal in 254-167 vote over PiS candidate Marcin Ociepa

Parliamentary vote and result

On Friday, 18 September 2026, the Sejm resolved a vacant seat in its presidium by electing Marcin Horała of the Rozwój Plus club as deputy marshal. Horała received 254 votes, surpassing the required absolute majority of 215 votes. Marcin Ociepa, the official candidate put forward by Law and Justice (PiS), secured 167 votes. The outcome formalised the parliamentary split between PiS and the new formation led by former prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki, with the governing majority providing the decisive support.

Voting breakdown across parliamentary groups

Support for Horała was assembled through a combination of the governing coalition and Morawiecki's faction. The 254 votes in favour came from Civic Coalition (KO) with 149 votes, Rozwój Plus with 41, PSL-Third Way with 30, Centrum with 14, and The Left (Lewica) with 13. Additional votes were cast by Confederation with two votes, Poland 2050 with two, independent deputies with two, and one PiS lawmaker, Maria Kurowska. Members of the Razem parliamentary circle did not participate in the ballot.

Political reactions from the right

Following the vote, Horała described the outcome as a step toward stronger oversight of the executive branch.

This is a bad day for the comfort of those in power. This is a bad day for those who hoped that difficult questions would not be asked. This is a bad day for those who wanted to call themselves opposition, but did not use the Sejm for real oversight of power. And this is a good day for parliamentary oversight of the government. The Sejm is to be an arena of questions, accountability, and hard debate on the decisions of authority. On mistakes, neglect, and responsibility for the state. There will be no political comfort for the governing.

PiS leadership criticised the agreement between Rozwój Plus and the governing majority. PiS club head Mariusz Błaszczak argued that the new group had compromised its opposition stance.

Rozwój Plus has become a concessioned opposition, one that enters into a deal with Tusk and Czarzasty for a deputy marshal chair for a year. A limousine, a secretariat, and an office became more important to them than ideals.

PiS prime ministerial candidate Przemysław Czarnek also criticised the election, while Ociepa thanked lawmakers for the 167 votes cast for his candidacy.

Broader Sejm legislative agenda

Beyond the presidium election, the parliamentary session included votes on several national policy measures. Lawmakers addressed legislation on personal assistance for people with disabilities, selecting a government proposal as the lead text among drafts submitted by the president and deputies. The agenda also featured the ratification of a defense and security partnership treaty with the United Kingdom, signed in London on 27 May 2026, which establishes mutual assistance commitments in the event of armed aggression. Additional items included first readings of Road Traffic Act amendments introducing three-month driving licence suspensions for railway crossing violations, as well as proposals to reform the Code of Criminal Procedure presented by President Karol Nawrocki.