No referendum on October 25

With 35 votes for and 53 votes against, Senat, the upper house of parliament has rejected President Andrzej Duda's motion to call for a second referendum on October 25, the day of the general election in Poland.

As many as two senators abstained. Last week, the Senat's committees recommended disapproval for the president's motion.

On August 20, the president, during his televised address to the nation, proposed a second referendum which would be held on the same day as parliamentary elections – October 25. He wanted to ask the nation, whether they want to lower the retirement age to 65 (for men) and 60 (for women) from the current threshold set at 67 for both sexes. He also proposed asking Poles whether they want to reverse the government’s decision to reduce the mandatory school age to six from seven as well as whether the country should ban the sale of state-owned forests. "I believe that the nation is the supreme sovereign, and the voice of society – the voice of Poles – must be heard," said Duda, explaining his decision.

The first referendum will be held on September 6 and will ask Poles whether they support single-member constituencies, financing political groupings from the state budget and if they want to introduce a presumption in favor of the taxpayer in disputes over the tax law. "I will honor my predecessor [Bronisław Komorowski] and Senate [upper house of parliament) and won't overturn their decision [to hold the referendum on that date]," said Duda adding that holding the second referendum on the same date as parliamentary elections will not put any additional strain on the state budget.