Szymon Hołownia

Before entering politics, Szymon Hołownia was active as a journalist, columnist, writer, television presenter and social activist.  In the years 1997-2019, he published in major newspapers and magazines, including daily newspapers such as “Gazeta Wyborcza” and “Rzeczpospolita”, the weekly magazines “Newsweek Polska” and “Wprost” and “Tygodnik Powszechny”. During his journalism career, he also worked with radio stations, such as Radio Białystok, Radio Vox FM, Radio PiN and the most-watched television stations (TVP and TVN). He is the author of numerous texts and dozens of books on social and religious issues, as well as hundreds of broadcasts and programmes.  

Szymon Hołownia won the Grand Press award in 2006 in the interview category and 2007 in the specialist journalism category. He also received, among others, the Trace Award (2007), the MediaTory Award (2008) and the TV Audience Victor Award (2011). However, he particularly appreciates the Badge of Honour for Merit in the Protection of Children’s Rights, awarded by the Ombudsman for Children’s Rights in 2016.   

As a social activist, he worked for many years on promoting equal opportunities. He founded the Kasisi Foundation and the Good Factory Foundation, helping thousands of people in Africa, Asia and Europe, including establishing an orphanage in Zambia, a hunger treatment centre in the Democratic Republic of Congo and an agricultural cooperative in Burkina Faso. He was also an ambassador for the UN Sustainable Development Goals.  

He came third in the 2020 presidential election with a score of 13.87 per cent. In the same year, he established the Poland 2050 Association, and in the following years, he founded Szymon Hołownia’s Poland 2050,the leadership of which he took over in 2022. In the 2023 parliamentary elections, his formation ran together with the Polish People’s Party (PSL) as the Third Way coalition of Szymon Hołownia’s Poland 2050 and PSL.  

In the vote, which took place on 15 October, Szymon Hołownia won his parliamentary seat from the Białystok constituency, receiving the support of almost 80,000 voters.  

On 13 November 2023, he was elected as the Marshal of the Sejm for the 10th term. His goals include making  the House a place for meetings and conversations and improving the quality of debate and lawmaking. His mission is also striving to bring the Sejm closer to the ordinary, everyday affairs of the Polish people.  

He is married to Urszula Brzezińska-Hołownia, a MiG-29 fighter pilot and officer in the Polish Air Force. He is the dad of Maria and Elżbieta.