Wanda Nowicka, deputy speaker of Poland's lower house of parliament, the Sejm, was expelled from the liberal opposition party Palikot's Movement on Wednesday. Party members voted to remove Ms Nowicka nearly unanimously: just one abstained.

Wanda Nowicka Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

However Palikot's Movement said that Ms Nowicka should be dismissed from her post for accepting the bonus and nominated transgender MP Anna Grodzka to take her place. But Ms Grodzka's bid was unsuccessful. In a vote in parliament on February 8, a majority of MPs voted against Wanda Nowicka's dismissal from the deputy speaker post.

Ms Nowicka will now act as an independent member of parliament. She said she would continue the work she has been doing so far and thanked Palikot's Movement for its previous cooperation.

Kamila Wajszczuk