Foundation of association and its downfall (2013–2017)
On 3 June 2013, the founder of the Republican Association, Przemysław Wipler, left the Law and Justice party, announcing the creation of a new political organisation which would be called the "Republicans".[2] They were registered as a political party on 2 August. On 22 August, the party held its founding convention, which hosted, among others, Paweł Kukiz.[3] Przemysław Wipler was appointed president, and Anna Streżyńska appointed vice president.[4] On 23 November, following the election of the new government, Przemysław Wipler continued as the president, defeating Anna Streżyńska at the vote.
At the beginning of 2014, Anna Streżyńska left the "Republicans". On 20 February 2014, a group of "Republicans" activists, led by Przemysław Wipler and Łukasz Wróbel, left Poland.[5][6] On 10 March, Przemysław Wipler concluded a cooperation agreement with the Congress of the New Right.[7] Some "Republicans" activists, led by Jacek Sierpinski, would later join the Libertarian Party.
In January 2015, many "Republicans" activists supported KORWiN, and Przemysław Wipler became the party's vice president. In the parliamentary elections to the Sejm, the party fielded two candidates, Magdalena Błeńska and Tomasz Jaskóła, and several others associated with the Republican Foundation. On 28 November 2015, at the Third Congress of the "Republicans", Przemysław Wipler stepped down as president, and was replaced by Karol Rabenda, who at the same time led KORWiN in Pomerania.
On 23 February, Karol Rabenda, then president, resigned from the party, as did Magdalena Błeńska, then vice president, and "Republicans" member Anna Siarkowska too resigned and caucused with Kukiz'15.[8]
Reactivation and joining the government (2021–present)
On 20 June 2021, the reactivating congress took place. Karol Rabenda took the stage to announce that Agreement members will join the Republican association and restructure it into a party, and that will join the governing coalition as a full member. Law & Justice chairman Jarosław Kaczyński also made a speech praising the reformed party. Another congress took place in September 2021, where Adam Bielan was appointed as new party leader.[9]
In the 2023 parliamentary elections, a few of the party representatives ran for the Sejm from Law and Justice lists, in addition, Andrzej Wojtyła ran for the Senate on behalf of Law and Justice. Four Republican Party activists won seats in the parliament - Kamil Bortniczuk, Michał Cieślak, Arkadiusz Czartoryski and Łukasz Mejza won re-election. They sat in the parliamentary club of the Law and Justice Party. In the next government of Mateusz Morawiecki, appointed in the first constitutional step, representatives of the Republicans were not among the constitutional ministers. On December 16, 2023, at a meeting of the Political Council, the Republican Party together with the Political Council of Law and Justice passed resolutions to merge the two political parties by absorbing the Republican Party into the Law and Justice.[10][11]