Legitimacy of parliamentary procedures, fair play of voting reassumption

The author analyses a procedure in the Polish parliament applied when a vote raises justified doubts on a specific issue. The text begins with the discussion of events that took place in August 2021 during a session of the Sejm at which the bill of the Broadcasting Act was considered. The provisions of this draft bill would result in the largest private broadcaster independent of the government having difficulties in renewing its television broadcasting license. The clash of economic interests, the power of the media, and the political dispute had an impact on the temperature of the parliamentary debate. However, the author tries to show how it was possible to apply the binding provisions in the light of the previous parliamentary practice and customs. The position of legal science is presented, mainly legal opinions drawn up against the background of the disputed use of the voting repetition procedure. The article also indicates the constitutional boundaries within which the parliament must operate when it intends to correctly order a repeat vote.

The author analyses a procedure in the Polish parliament applied when a vote raises justified doubts on a specific issue. The text begins with the discussion of events that took place in August 2021 during a session of the Sejm at which the bill of the Broadcasting Act was considered. The provisions of this draft bill would result in the largest private broadcaster independent of the government having difficulties in renewing its television broadcasting license. The clash of economic interests, the power of the media, and the political dispute had an impact on the temperature of the parliamentary debate. However, the author tries to show how it was possible to apply the binding provisions in the light of the previous parliamentary practice and customs. The position of legal science is presented, mainly legal opinions drawn up against the background of the disputed use of the voting repetition procedure. The article also indicates the constitutional boundaries within which the parliament must operate when it intends to correctly order a repeat vote.