Poland - Government
Based on the etymolgy of Poland, it was name derives from the Polanians, a west Slavic tribe that united several surrounding Slavic groups (9th-10th centuries A.D.) and who passed on their name to the country; the name of the tribe likely comes from the Slavic "pole" (field or plain), indicating the flat nature of their country. The Government system in this country is the parliamentary republic type and the different Administrative divisions includes: 16 voivodships [provinces] (wojewodztwa, singular - wojewodztwo); Dolnoslaskie (Lower Silesia), Kujawsko-Pomorskie (Kuyavia-Pomerania), Lodzkie (Lodz), Lubelskie (Lublin), Lubuskie (Lubusz), Malopolskie (Lesser Poland), Mazowieckie (Masovia), Opolskie (Opole), Podkarpackie (Subcarpathia), Podlaskie, Pomorskie (Pomerania), Slaskie (Silesia), Swietokrzyskie (Holy Cross), Warminsko-Mazurskie (Warmia-Masuria), Wielkopolskie (Greater Poland), Zachodniopomorskie (West Pomerania)
National symbols
White crowned eagle; national colors: white, red.
The flag
The National flag of Poland has two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red; colors derive from the Polish emblem - a white eagle on a red field.
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note: similar to the flags of Indonesia and Monaco which are red (top) and white
The National Anthem
| Title | "Mazurek Dabrowskiego" (Dabrowski's Mazurka) |
|---|---|
| Lyric/music | Jozef WYBICKI/traditional |
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note: adopted 1927; the anthem, commonly known as "Jeszcze Polska nie zginela" (Poland Has Not Yet Perished), was written in 1797; the lyrics resonate strongly with Poles because they reflect the numerous occasions in which the nation's lands have been occupied
More about the government of Poland
| Date of Independence | 11 November 1918 (republic proclaimed); notable earlier dates: 14 April 966 (adoption of Christianity, traditional founding date), 1 July 1569 (Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth created) |
|---|---|
| National holiday | Constitution Day, 3 May (1791) |
| Legal system | civil law system; judicial review of legislative, administrative, and other governmental acts; constitutional law rulings of the Constitutional Tribunal are final |
| International law organization participation | accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction |
| Constitution | |
| History | Several previous; latest adopted 2 April 1997, approved by referendum 25 May 1997, effective 17 October 1997 |
| Amendments | Proposed by at least one fifth of Sejm deputies, by the Senate, or by the president of the republic; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote in the Sejm and absolute majority vote in the Senate; amendments to articles relating to sovereignty, personal freedoms, and constitutional amendment procedures also require passage by majority vote in a referendum; amended 2006, 2009 |
| Citizenship | |
| Citizenship by birth | no |
| Citizenship by descent only | both parents must be citizens of Poland |
| Dual citizenship recognized | no |
| Residency requirement for naturalization | 5 years |
| Executive Branch | |
| Chief of state | President Andrzej DUDA (since 6 August 2015) |
| Head of government | Prime Minister Donald TUSK (since 11 December 2023) |
| Cabinet | Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister, appointed by the president, and approved by the Sejm |
| Elections/appointments | president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 28 June 2020 with a second round on 12 July 2020 (next to be held in 2025); prime minister, deputy prime ministers, and Council of Ministers appointed by the president and confirmed by the Sejm; all presidential candidates resign their party affiliation |
| Election results | 2020: Andrzej DUDA reelected president in second round; percent of vote - Andrzej DUDA (independent) 51%, Rafal TRZASKOWSKI (KO) 49% 2015: Andrzej DUDA elected president in second round; percent of vote - Andrzej DUDA (independent) 51.5%, Bronislaw KOMOROWSKI (independent) 48.5%
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| Legislative branch | |
| Description | Bicameral Parliament consists of: Senate or Senat (100 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms) Sejm (460 seats; members elected in multi-seat constituencies by party-list proportional representation vote with 5% threshold of total votes needed for parties and 8% for coalitions to gain seats; minority parties exempt from threshold; members serve 4-year terms) |
| Elections | Senate - last held on 15 October 2023 (next to be held in 2027) Sejm - last held on 15 October 2023 (next to be held in 2027) |
| Election results | Senate - percent of vote by coalition/party - United Right 34.8%, Civic Coalition 28.9%, Third Way 11.5%, The Left 5.3%, Senate Pact Independents 2.7%, independent 3%; seats by coalition/party - Civic Coalition 41, United Right 34, Third Way 11, The Left 9, Senate Pact Independents 4, independent 1 Sejm - percent of vote by coalition/party - PiS 35.4%, KO 30.7%, TD 14.4%, Lewica 8.6%, Konf 7.2%; seats by coalition/party - United Way 194, Civic Coalition 157, Third Way 65, The Left 26, Confederation 18 |
| Judicial branch | |
| Highest court(s) | Supreme Court or Sad Najwyzszy (consists of the first president of the Supreme Court and 120 justices organized in criminal, civil, labor and social insurance, and extraordinary appeals and public affairs and disciplinary chambers); Constitutional Tribunal (consists of 15 judges, including the court president and vice president) |
| Judge selection and term of office | President of the Supreme Court nominated by the General Assembly of the Supreme Court and selected by the president of Poland; other judges nominated by the 25-member National Judicial Council and appointed by the president of Poland; judges serve until retirement, usually at age 65, but tenure can be extended; Constitutional Tribunal judges chosen by the Sejm for single 9-year terms |
| Subordinate courts | Administrative courts; military courts; local, regional and appellate courts subdivided into military, civil, criminal, labor, and family courts |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | |
| Chief of mission | Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Adam KRZYWOSĄDZKI (since 31 July 2024) |
| Chancery | 2640 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 |
| Telephone | [1] (202) 499-1700 |
| FAX | [1] (202) 328-2152 |
| Email address and website | [email protected] https://www.gov.pl/web/usa-en/embassy-washington |
| Consulate(s) general | Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | |
| Chief of mission | Ambassador Mark BRZEZINSKI (since 19 January 2022) |
| Embassy | Aleje Ujazdowskie 29/31, 00-540 Warsaw |
| Mailing address | 5010 Warsaw Place, Washington, DC 20521-5010 |
| Telephone | [48] (22) 504-2000 |
| FAX | [48] (22) 504-2088 |
| Email address and website | [email protected] https://pl.usembassy.gov/ |
| Consulate(s) general | Krakow |
| National heritage | |
| Total World Heritage Sites | 17 (15 cultural, 2 natural) |
| Selected World Heritage Site locales | Historic Krakow (c); Historic Warsaw (c); Medieval Torun (c); Wooden Tserkvas of the Carpathian Region (c); Castle of the Teutonic Order in Malbork (c); Wieliczka and Bochnia Royal Salt Mines (c); Auschwitz Birkenau Concentration Camp (c); Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians (n); Białowieza Forest (n); Old City of Zamość (c) |
Key Political parties and their leaders in Poland
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International organization participation
All Important Facts about Poland
Want to know more about Poland? Check all different factbooks for Poland below.
