Senate Approves New Ombudsman as PiS Questions Political Neutrality

The Polish Senate on Wednesday confirmed attorney Sylwia Gregorczyk-Abram as the new Ombudsman, succeeding Marcin Wiącek amid fierce debate over her past political protests and activism.

Senate Vote and Succession

The Senate voted on Wednesday to approve attorney Sylwia Gregorczyk-Abram as the Ombudsman. She will replace Prof. Marcin Wiącek in the position after a five-year term. The appointment of Gregorczyk-Abram as Ombudsman was supported by 59 senators, with 25 voting against and no abstentions.

Voting in the Senate was preceded by numerous questions. Former Ombudsman and former Minister of Justice Adam Bodnar asked, among other things, about the findings of the commission she headed regarding police abuses against citizens between 2015 and 2023. Gregorczyk-Abram replied that she had presented recommendations to the Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration, Marcin Kierwiński, as described by Wyborcza.

Questions on Political Neutrality

PiS senators questioned the Ombudsman candidate about her understanding of “apoliticality” in the context of her activity in Free Courts and her participation in demonstrations. She explained that deep polarization causes the appropriation of certain concepts and their classification into a single current, stating that the office she will manage is apolitical. She added that she took part in the June 4 march and would do the same today, believing that citizens who protested en masse should have a voice on that stage alongside politicians.

Following the Sejm’s decision, the lawyer addressed accusations regarding the politicization of her activity in media interviews. She emphasized that she is an attorney who has frequently represented people with different political views and outlooks on life, and that this has never affected her way of acting or overshadowed the defense of their rights and values, which will apply to the Ombudsman office as well.

Background and Qualifications of Sylwia Gregorczyk-Abram

Born in 1982, Gregorczyk-Abram is an attorney, human rights and rule of law defender, and a graduate of law from the University of Warsaw. She is a co-founder of the Free Courts initiative, the Committee for the Defense of Justice, and a board member of the Prof. Zbigniew Hołda Association.

In May 2025, she became chairwoman of the commission for clarifying the mechanisms of repression against civil society organizations and social activists in 2015-2023, which operated under the Ministry of Justice. The lawyer is involved in issues concerning people with disabilities and has repeatedly referred to her personal experience as the mother of a child with a disability.

Sejm Confirmation and Alternative Candidate

The Ombudsman is appointed by the Sejm with the consent of the Senate. The candidacy of attorney Gregorczyk-Abram was put forward by MPs from the Civic Coalition and the Left. The counter-candidate nominated by Law and Justice was Adam Borowski, an anti-communist oppositionist from the Polish People’s Republic era, associated with the PiS environment in the Third Polish Republic, and head of the Warsaw Gazeta Polska club. On Friday, the Sejm majority supported the election of Gregorczyk-Abram to the position of Ombudsman.

The term of the current Ombudsman, Prof. Marcin Wiącek, who took office in 2021, ends on Thursday, July 23.

Political Reactions and Defense of the Nomination

Prime Minister Donald Tusk spoke on Friday in favor of the candidate, stating that she acted publicly not for political-party reasons, but because of deeply held convictions about human rights and the independence of the justice system. He called her an exceptionally competent candidate regarding both legal knowledge and moral-ethical standards, expressing conviction that it is a very good choice.

Conversely, the PiS environment opposed the candidacy. Marcin Warchoł, a PiS MP and former deputy minister and minister of justice, told Do Rzeczy that she is a compromised and extremely politicized person who should face justice rather than receive accolades in the form of the Ombudsman position.