Type Bicameralism | Term limits 4 years | |
 | ||
Houses Senate (upper)
Sejm (lower) Marshal of the Senate Stanisław Karczewski (pl), PiS
Since 12 November 2015 Marshal of the Sejm Marek Kuchciński, PiS
Since 12 November 2015 Seats 560
consisting of
100 senators
460 deputies | ||
The parliament of Poland has an upper house, the Senate, and a lower house, the Sejm. Both houses are accommodated by the Sejm complex in Warsaw. The parliament itself is without an official name; the Constitution of Poland refers only to the Sejm and the Senate.
Members of both houses are elected by direct election, usually every four years. The Sejm has 460 members, while the Senate has 100 senators. To become law, a bill must first be approved by both houses, but the Sejm can override a Senate refusal to pass a bill.
On certain occasions, the Marshal of the Sejm summons the National Assembly, a joint sessiin the members of both houses of parliament. Its function is mostly ceremonial in nature, and it convenes only occasionally, such as to witness the inauguration of the President. Under exceptional circumstances, the constitution endows the National Assembly with significant responsibilities, such as the power to bring the President before the State Tribunal (impeachment).The leading party is Law and Justice (PiS) with 234 out of 460 seats in Sejm and 61 out of 100 seats in Senate. Debating halls have designated seats for the deputies, senators and the Marshal. Seats are also equipped in voting devices, used by deputies and senators to vote.