Polish parliament passes 2017 budget bill in chaotic vote

The heads of three opposition parties, Civic Platform (PO), Nowoczesna and the Polish People's Party (PSL), signed a letter addressed to the Speaker saying that the vote was illegal.

With emotions running high, PO leader Grzegorz Schetyna said following the vote: “This is a constitutional crisis.” But MPs from from the ruling, conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party insisted the ballot was legal.

Speaker Marek Kuchciński, from PiS, called “a continuation of the session of parliament” at an alternative sitting following several hours of protest by opposition MPs who blocked the rostrum during an earlier debate in the main chamber of the lower house.

Commotion broke out when Michał Szczerba, a deputy for the opposition Civic Platform (PO) party, was excluded from debate after speaking out about planned new rules on journalists’ access to parliament.

A vote of mostly PiS deputies was held after 9:30 pm CET in a secondary room in the parliament building without the participation of many opposition MPs.

The latter refused to leave the rostrum until Szczerba's voting rights were reinstated.

The vote on the budget was held by a raising of hands, and deputies from the opposition PO and Nowoczesna parties questioned whether a quorum – the minimum number of MPs needed to vote – was met.

Journalists were also banned from entering the room and observing the vote.

The budget bill will now be voted on by the Senate, the upper house. (rg/pk)