Sejm elects Sylwia Gregorczyk-Abram as new Polish Ombudsman with 233 votes

Sejm vote

On Friday, 17 July 2026, the Sejm elected attorney Sylwia Gregorczyk-Abram as the new Commissioner for Human Rights (RPO). Out of 433 deputies voting, 233 supported her candidacy, while 177 backed Adam Borowski, the candidate of Law and Justice (PiS). Another 23 deputies voted against both. The absolute majority threshold was 217 votes. Gregorczyk-Abram was nominated by the Civic Coalition (KO) and the Left.

Who is Sylwia Gregorczyk-Abram

Gregorczyk-Abram is a human rights lawyer and co-founder of the Free Courts initiative and the Committee for the Defence of Justice. She sits on the board of the Prof. Zbigniew Hołda Association. Since May 2025, she has chaired a commission at the Ministry of Justice investigating repression mechanisms against civil society organisations and activists between 2015 and 2023. During the public hearing, she said:

The Commissioner for Human Rights is not just another office. It is the completion of the human rights protection system. It exists so that no gap opens between the constitutional promise of protecting rights and freedoms and the citizen's experience.

She also pledged to be "an advocate for all citizens, faithful to the constitution, independent of the authorities and always on the side of those whose voice is least heard."

Controversy over the "Wejście" group

PiS politicians sharply criticised the appointment. MP Andrzej Śliwka called Gregorczyk-Abram a "radically left-wing activist" involved in the "illegal takeover of public media" and the "destabilisation of the justice system." He noted that she was elected thanks to votes from the Polish People's Party (PSL) and the support of Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz.

The controversy centres on a WhatsApp group called "Wejście" (Entry), where members discussed taking control of TVP, Polish Radio and the Polish Press Agency in December 2023. One message read: "It smells like martial law, but better a shout of 50 than proof of the authorities' powerlessness." During a committee hearing, MP Sebastian Kaleta asked Gregorczyk-Abram whether she belonged to the group, whether she consulted documents for the takeover, and about her relationship with judge Ewa Wrzosek. She did not answer. After the vote, a TV Republika reporter repeated the questions; Gregorczyk-Abram said she was pleased with the result and that the Senate decision was the next step, then left.

What happens next

The Sejm's resolution now moves to the Senate, which has one month to approve or reject the appointment. The current ombudsman, Prof. Marcin Wiącek, will leave office on 23 July 2026, after a five-year term that began in 2021. If the Senate consents, Gregorczyk-Abram will become the ninth person to hold the office since its creation in 1987.