Szymon Hołownia ordered the removal of the barriers in front of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland in November 2023—shortly after he was elected Marshal of the Sejm.
The barriers were a symbol of the previous government (PiS). They blocked access to the Sejm and separated Parliament from citizens. Hołownia described them as “unsightly” and announced: “Enough of putting up these barriers between us.”
For the new Marshal, it was important that the Sejm become more open—both to citizens and the media—and that the space be accessible, so the symbolic wall between Parliament and society would disappear.
Also in November, but in 2025, the barriers surrounding the city fountain in the market square in Bolesławiec disappeared. They had previously been installed as additional protection for the fountain after it was shut down for the winter.
Of course, Szymon Hołownia did not decide to remove the barriers in Bolesławiec, but the barriers themselves—or rather, their disappearance—are associated with him 😃
Returning to Bolesławiec, after a wooden cover was placed over the fountain and Christmas decorations (a teapot and a cup) were put on it, the barriers ultimately disappeared.
This, however, is where the similarities between the disappearance of the barriers in front of the Sejm and those around the fountain end: the Sejm grounds are accessible to visitors, whereas climbing onto the cover of the Bolesławiec fountain is prohibited. A sign on the fountain’s cover informs visitors of this.
