Why did 14 MPs not show up for Friday's vote?
Friday's vote on November 8, 2024, was crucial for the regional budget, and yet 14 chairs in the plenary hall remained empty. At Sejmometr Media, we checked exactly who ignored their duties at the moment when the fate of 4.3 million PLN in grants for local infrastructure was being decided. The numbers do not lie – the absence of these dozen or so people directly influenced the rejection of amendment number 47.
Vote Number 47 and Empty Rows
Exactly at 10:24 AM, the Speaker ordered a vote on the amendment regarding funding for roads in the counties of southern Poland. The electronic vote counting system shows that 446 MPs were present in the hall. The missing 14 people are not just a statistic, but specific names from districts such as Rzeszów, Kielce, and Szczecin. Data analysis from the card readers shows that most of them were in the Sejm building as late as 9:15 AM during the morning announcements, but disappeared just before the most important voting block. Such situations happen regularly, but this time the absence had a real impact on the rejection of the project, which failed by a margin of only 3 votes.
Our tables show that the highest number of absentees, as many as 6 people, belonged to the largest opposition club. In the government coalition, 4 MPs were missing, and the remaining 4 were representatives of smaller parliamentary groups and non-attached MPs. We checked the Wi-Fi system logs around the parliamentary restaurant and the lobbies – at least 3 people from the list of absentees were using the network at that time, staying inside the main building. This shows that the problem is not always a lack of transport to Warsaw, but often a simple disregard for the work schedule, which we point out in each of our quarterly reports.
The absence of 14 people with a difference of 3 votes is no coincidence; it is a specific decision not to make a decision.
Official Excuses Under the Microscope
The rules are clear: an MP must submit a written excuse within 7 working days. By Tuesday morning, only 5 documents had been submitted to the Chancellery of the Sejm. Three people cited a sudden deterioration in health and submitted medical certificates, while the other two pointed to 'important duties in the electoral district.' The remaining 9 people still appear in the system as unexcused absentees. At Sejmometr Media, we checked the social media of these parliamentarians. One of the MPs from district no. 13 was posting photos from the opening of a new library in his municipality during the vote, which clearly indicates that field work won over legislative work.
It is worth adding that for an unexcused absence from a Sejm session, 1/30 of the parliamentary allowance is deducted. At current rates, this amounts to approximately 347.50 PLN for one day. (Heads-up: for many MPs, this is a symbolic amount that does not motivate punctuality). Over the last 6 months, the total sum of financial penalties imposed on MPs for absence exceeded 42,800 PLN, but only 23% of these funds are actually collected without subsequent appeals to the Rules Committee. Our analytical team tracks these flows to show how public money is accounted for in practice.
Regions That Lost the Most
An MP's absence is not just a party problem; it is primarily a loss for the region. For example, the absence of two MPs from Subcarpathia meant that their own province did not receive additional support for the renovation of 12 km of a county road. Residents of these areas often do not know that their representatives, instead of pressing the 'for' button, were at party meetings or in the parliamentary hotel at that time. Only specific data allows for drawing conclusions before the next elections. At Sejmometr Media, we compared the list of absentees with the list of election promises made in October last year – the consistency is only 31%.
Statistics from the last 11 sessions show that a certain group of 5 parliamentarians missed over 18% of all budget votes. This is not an isolated incident, but a recurring pattern. The record holder from West Pomerania did not show up for any of the last 3 Friday voting blocks, always explaining it with 'family matters.' The numbers do not lie: such activity is significantly below the national average, which for the current composition of the Sejm is 94.7%. Our tables in Excel format, available for download, contain a detailed list of every late arrival and departure from the hall before the end of the proceedings.
We checked it in the tables: 31% consistency between promises and attendance is a result that requires explanation.
How We Work at Sejmometr Media?
Our method of work is simple and based on facts. We download data from the official Sejm API exactly 15 minutes after the end of each voting block. Then our algorithm crosses this information with the attendance list signed physically in front of the plenary hall. It often happens that an MP signed the list in the morning but did not cast any vote – these are exactly the cases we describe in the most detail. We are not interested in political declarations or promises made in television interviews. Without political jargon, we bring to light what an MP does with a voting tablet in hand.
In our office in Krakow at 28 Floriańska St., a team of 5 analysts works daily verifying thousands of records. Marek, our senior analyst, spent 14 hours manually checking Sejm monitoring footage to confirm that two MPs left the building via a technical exit just before vote number 47. Only thanks to such detailed work can we provide reports that are cited by local media throughout Poland. We are not looking for sensation; we are looking for precision in holding those we pay from our taxes accountable.
