Polska 2050 expels Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz, two days after she quit Tusk's government

Expulsion from the party

On Saturday, 24 October, Szymon Hołownia, Polska 2050's parliamentary club chair and the party's founder, announced on X that the party board had decided to remove Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz. The stated reason was acting to the party's detriment and against resolutions of its statutory bodies. Michał Gramatyka, a Polska 2050 deputy who serves as deputy minister of digitisation, confirmed the decision and said it was the right one. Hołownia described the step as painful for the party but unavoidable given the known facts.

This is very difficult for our community, but, given the known facts, unfortunately inevitable.

From government to party exit

On Thursday evening, 22 October, Pełczyńska-Nałęcz said on X that she was leaving the government, where she served as minister of funds and regional policy. She also said she was handing the party over to its founder, Hołownia, whom she described as someone who had left and then returned. In the same message she accused the coalition of backing political deals over the interests of ordinary people.

The coalition, including a significant part of Polska 2050's deputies, stood against the people and for political deals.

The immediate trigger was a vote on a proposal from the Polish People's Party (PSL) to abolish the two-term limit for mayors, town presidents and village heads. The Sejm did not pass the change, but many coalition deputies supported it. Six Polska 2050 deputies who voted backed the proposal, while three of the party's deputies abstained. Koalicja Obywatelska backed the idea, Nowa Lewica split, and Polska 2050 was divided as well.

Knock-on resignation and Tusk's response

On Friday, 23 October, Jan Szyszko, another Polska 2050 member, resigned as deputy minister of funds and regional policy. Speaking to journalists in India, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the departure would not matter much for the coalition's further work.

I don't think it will have any significance for the further work of the coalition, to be honest.

Tusk also said he had two excellent candidates for the head of the ministry and would announce the new minister after returning from visits to India and Vietnam. Reports said Polska 2050 deputies were surprised by her decision. A former party member, posting under the name Bartosz on X, said he was leaving Polska 2050 after her departure and criticised Hołownia's handling of the matter.

Open questions

The reports do not name a successor at the ministry, and Tusk has not yet done so. It is also unclear from the articles who will lead Polska 2050 now that she has given up the party chair. The expulsion was announced only two days after her resignation from government, so the coalition's internal disputes over the two-term limit remain unresolved.