Law and Justice deputy Joanna Lichocka was dismissed from the position of deputy chairman of the culture committee. Presenting the opposition’s motion on this matter, PSL MP Jarosław Rzepa, recalling the MP’s gesture during the parliamentary session in February, explained that “such behavior cannot take place in the public debate”. Dominik Tarczyński, a PiS member of parliament, argued that Lichocka was “a person devoted to the service of culture and the media.”
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On Friday, the Parliamentary Culture and Media Committee considered the motion to dismiss Joanna Lichocka, Law and Justice MP, deputy chairman of the Culture and Media Committee. It was requested by the PSL-Kukiz’15 club, with the support of all opposition members of the commission.
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14 deputies were in favor of the appeal, 13 were against, and one abstained. Lichocka was not present at the meeting.
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A storm in the parliamentary hall after a gesture from a PiS deputy
In February, after the vote in which the Sejm voted against the Senate’s resolution to reject the amendment to the Broadcasting Act and the subscription act, which provided for compensation in the amount of PLN 1.95 billion in 2020 for state television and Polish Radio, the media circulated the recording Lichocka, where he shows the gesture of his middle finger.
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Lichocka then assured that she only moved “energetically twice her finger under her eye, because she was nervous”. She declared that she was ready to submit explanations to the parliamentary ethics committee. She apologized to all those who felt offended by Thursday’s events. She accused the opposition of activating the “propaganda machine”.
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Sławomir Nitras, a member of the Civic Coalition, argued later that “it cannot be that a deputy representing a culture committee treats the opposition with such obscene gestures.” He stressed that this requires a “firm response”.
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Joanna Lichocka’s gesture in the Sejm (recording from February 14)TVN24
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“A gesture unworthy of a deputy”
Jarosław Rzepa (PSL-Kukiz’15), who presented the opposition’s motion, emphasized during Friday’s committee deliberations that “Poles do not expect such standards and such behavior cannot take place in the public debate”. He explained that “one should agree with the statement that the example of good, proper, desirable behavior must guide everyone”. – There should be no further office in the Culture and Media Committee. Behavior during the session of the Sejm, in particular the offensive gesture made by Ms Lichocka, cannot remain unanswered – emphasized Rzepa.
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According to Tomasz Zimoch from the Civic Coalition, the gesture shown in the plenary chamber is “unworthy of an MP, but the saddest thing is how MEP Lichocka explained what she did”. He admitted that he was surprised that Lichocka had not resigned as deputy chairman so far. As he said, “it would be the best, most sensible way to settle this whole thing.”
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The appeal to resign from the function was also sent to the PiS MP by other opposition MPs.
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READ MORE: Lichocka: I apologize to all those who felt touched by this unintentional gesture
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Lichocka: I didn’t do anything wrong (video from February 14)TVN24
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Tarczyński: Lichocka is devoted to culture and the media. The gesture was not offensive
Dominik Tarczyński, a PiS member of parliament, argued that Lichocka’s gesture “had nothing to do with an offensive gesture, but was only a camera cage”. – I would like to remind you that Mr. Rafał Trzaskowski also has such shots and many politicians have different options and this does not mean that this gesture was supposed to be offensive – he said.
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Tarczyński considered the juxtaposition of the case of oncological patients with budgetary decisions in the justification of the application as “manipulation”. This is a reference to the discussion in the Sejm in February. At that time, among others, the head of PSL, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, pointed out that money should be spent on oncology in Poland instead of on public television.
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The PiS MP assessed that this gesture had nothing to do with what the deputies accused Lichocka. As he said, Lichocka is “a person devoted to Poland for years, dedicated to the service of culture and the media”.
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“Lost her mandate to represent the committee”
On the same day, a conference of members of the Civic Coalition regarding the dismissal of Lichocka was held in the Sejm’s Column Hall. Urszula Augustyn, MP, stated that it was caused by “scandalous behavior in the plenary chamber of the Sejm”.
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MP Piotr Adamowicz added that Lichocka “lost her mandate to represent the culture committee”. – With her behavior in the parliament, she offended not only the opposition, not only parliamentarians, but also people who looked hopefully at the debate when we discussed whether we would donate two billion zlotys to oncology, or whether two billion zlotys would be spent on propaganda on public television – he pointed out . Iwona Śledzińska-Katarasińska said that she thought that Lichocka would understand the inappropriateness of her behavior and would herself resign from the position of vice-chairman of the committee. – There was a vote. The deputy was not present at the meeting, and she did not speak remotely, so we could not listen to her arguments – she reminded. Śledzińska-Katarasiński also assured that the Commission proposed contacting Lichocka and “the possibility of a more honorable way out of the situation”, but – as she added – “all this did not meet with the response of the interested party”, which was to influence the voting result. – I have been in the culture committee in a different role throughout my terms of office. I do not remember a situation in which a vote would have to take place on the dismissal of anyone from the presidium of the committee, and if there were extraordinary circumstances, this person would resign on his own – recalled the deputy who sits in the Sejm for the ninth term. She expressed the hope that with Joanna Lichocka as a rank-and-file member of the culture committee, it would be “much better to work”. According to Wojciech Król, Lichocka’s mistake was not to admit to making a “famous and shameful gesture”. “This vote in committee today has shown one thing: if the opposition mobilizes, it can succeed,” said the King.
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Śledzińska-Katarasińska: I do not remember the situation when anyone was voted to be dismissed from the presidium of the culture committeeTVN24
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photo-source">Main photo source: TVN24
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