Polska 2050 Removes Szymon Hołownia from Official Name at Warsaw Congress

The Polish centrist party Polska 2050 Szymona Hołowni officially changed its name to Polska 2050 Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej on Saturday, March 21, 2026, dropping the surname of its founder Szymon Hołownia from its official title. The announcement was made by party chairwoman Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz during the Congress of the New Opening of Poland 2050 in Warsaw, where several hundred party activists from across Poland gathered. The event marked what the party described as a new chapter in its development, with the name change serving as a symbolic break from its origins as a vehicle built around a single political personality. Paweł Śliz, appearing as a guest of Krzysztof Ziemiec on RMF FM, had signaled earlier that the new name would be announced at the congress that day.

„Szymon, twoje nazwisko jest teraz tylko twoje” (Szymon, your surname is now only yours) — Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz via Rzeczpospolita

Chairwoman signals a clean break from founder's brand Pełczyńska-Nałęcz addressed Szymon Hołownia directly during the congress, framing the renaming as a deliberate act of institutional maturation. „Polska 2050 Rzeczpospolitej Polskiej. From today, that is the name of our party” — Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz via rmf24.pl She also noted that there is no other word that can replace Szymon Hołownia, acknowledging his foundational role even as his name was removed from the party's title. Hołownia, who founded the movement after finishing third in Poland's 2020 presidential election, served as the party's chairman until 2026 and currently holds the position of Deputy Marshal of the Sejm. Pełczyńska-Nałęcz, who also serves as Minister of Funds and Regional Policy in the government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk, took over the party leadership from Hołownia earlier in 2026. The congress also addressed the party's broader strategic direction, with Pełczyńska-Nałęcz stating the party's goal was to restore security to everyday life and offer people hope rather than fear. „This is our task, this is the goal of Poland 2050 - to move forward, solve problems, and finally restore to people the security of everyday life. It is time to stop feeding people fear, and instead of fear give them hope, direction, and security” — Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz via wpolityce.pl

Statute rewritten to empower regional party structures Beyond the name change, the congress focused primarily on amendments to the party statute designed to increase the role of regional management within the grouping's organizational structure. According to Rzeczpospolita, the statutory changes represented the main substantive point of the congress, with the name announcement coming after the convention concluded around noon. The invitation sent to media ahead of the event had indicated that a plan for the party's future activities would be presented. The gathering of several hundred activists from all over Poland underscored the party's effort to project an image of broad national reach rather than a Warsaw-centered political project. The rebranding to include "Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej" — meaning "of the Republic of Poland" — signals an attempt to anchor the party's identity in the Polish state itself rather than in the persona of its founder.

Party born from a presidential run seeks new identity Polska 2050 was established by Szymon Hołownia following his third-place finish in Poland's 2020 presidential election. The association Polska 2050 was registered on August 24, 2020, and the political party Polska 2050 Szymona Hołowni was formally registered on March 26, 2021, according to the party's own history. The movement was conceived as a centrist, civic-oriented force positioned between the dominant right-wing and left-wing blocs in Polish politics. The decision to remove Hołownia's surname from the party name reflects a broader pattern in Polish politics, where parties built around individual leaders have sought to institutionalize and broaden their appeal beyond a single figure. Hołownia served as Marshal of the Sejm during the tenth term of parliament from 2023 to 2025, before transitioning to the role of Deputy Marshal, a position he continues to hold as of March 2026. The party's membership in the ruling coalition government alongside Donald Tusk's Civic Platform has shaped its political positioning since late 2023. The renaming to Polska 2050 Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej positions the party as an institution of the Polish republic rather than a personal political project, a distinction the new leadership under Pełczyńska-Nałęcz appears determined to emphasize going forward.