The live broadcasts of the Polish Sejm on YouTube have recently surged in popularity, a trend partly attributed to the new Sejm Marshal, Szymon Hołownia. Hołownia, with his background in entertainment and media, notably as a co-host of the television show "Mam talent!" (Poland's version of "Got Talent"), brings a unique flair to the political arena.
This surge in viewership coincides with a significant moment in Polish politics, where the public is keenly observing the actions of the outgoing ruling party, Law and Justice (PiS), and seeking accountability for their policies and actions. This increased engagement reflects a national expectation for change and transparency in government operations, making parliamentary proceedings more accessible and engaging to a broader audience.
A colossal shift in popularity is evident not only in the live broadcasts but also in the view counts of individual addresses by the Sejm officials. The last speech by the previous Marshal Elżbieta Witek was viewed 19,000 times, whereas the subsequent three speeches by the current Marshal Szymon Hołownia garnered significantly higher view counts of 108,000, 188,000, and 168,000 views, respectively.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFyiv9C2-Yk
However, these numbers pale in comparison to the audience gathered by live broadcasts of the Sejm sessions. For instance, the Sejm session on November 28th, at the time of writing this article, has already amassed 1.4 million views. This session is the most viewed to date, but other days also enjoyed high popularity, consistently reaching several hundred thousand views each.
Additionally, the current subscriber count for the Sejm's YouTube channel is nearing 300,000. This substantial increase in subscribers further underscores the heightened interest in the Sejm's activities and the broader public engagement with Poland's political processes.
