The motion failed in the lower house of parliament, the Sejm, with 235 lawmakers voting against it, 212 in favour and none abstaining.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk defended Kierwiński during the parliamentary debate, saying he would remain in office because he was pursuing criminals and protecting public safety and the country's borders.
Tusk credited Kierwiński with helping efforts to curb illegal migration, strengthen border security and introduce stricter asylum rules.
He also cited changes to the visa system and efforts to prevent sabotage and other hostile activity.
Tusk said attempts to cross Poland’s border with Belarus had fallen to "almost zero."
Kierwiński, responding to accusations from the opposition, said the police were performing better than under the previous government.
He cited a decline of more than 10 percent in overall crime and 17 percent" in criminal offences, as well as a homicide clearance rate "close to 100 percent."
He said the rate had been nearly 10 percentage points lower under the previous government.
Kierwiński also said road deaths had fallen by nearly 12 percent compared with the final year of the previous government.
He said police staffing had increased from 93,000 officers under the previous administration—the lowest level since the 1990s, he said—to 104,000 today.
He put the number of vacancies under the previous government at 16,000.
Kierwiński thanked police officers serving across the country, including those deployed outside the Constitutional Tribunal, which has become the focus of a dispute between the government and the opposition.
Przemysław Czarnek, deputy leader of the right-wing opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party, which filed the no-confidence motion, accused Kierwiński of using police officers for political purposes.
He also criticised Kierwiński's handling of high-profile incidents including recent knife attacks in schools, and blamed him for a controversy surrounding Warsaw's scandal-hit Południowy Hospital.
PiS lawmaker Paweł Hreniak argued that Kierwiński's continued presence in office threatened constitutional order and public safety.
He accused the interior ministry under Kierwiński of becoming a tool for political action against the opposition, independent media and institutions.
Marcin Horała of the opposition Development Plus parliamentary group, a spin-off accused Kierwiński of using force to impose what he called "widespread lawlessness."
He also called for the resignation of the entire government and what is known as a constructive vote of no-confidence.
Witold Tumanowicz of the far-right Confederation party said Kierwiński increasingly acted as a "political operative for Tusk" rather than as a minister responsible for public security.
He argued that police should uphold the law rather than "take sides in political disputes."
Ruling coalition lawmakers defended Kierwiński and his record.
Zbigniew Konwiński, head of the Civic Coalition (KO) parliamentary caucus, said the police had become an example of "professionalism and sound judgment."
He argued that officers were responsible for securing public gatherings and other events, including those attended by opposition politicians.
Konwiński also credited Kierwiński with helping to secure the country's borders and cited strong public support for law enforcement services.
Krzysztof Paszyk of the agrarian Polish People's Party (PSL), a junior government partner, described the motion as a politically motivated attempt to remove the minister, submitted while security services were involved in a major operation to protect Poland’s eastern border.
He accused the opposition of undermining the government during what he called Russian hybrid attacks against Poland.
Lawmakers from the Centre and Poland 2050 groups also opposed the motion, pointing to increased police staffing and pay, PLN 13 billion (EUR 3 billion, USD 3.3 billion) allocated for modernising the police and other agencies overseen by the interior ministry, falling crime rates and improved road safety.
The Left party said there were no grounds to dismiss Kierwiński, although it acknowledged that working conditions, staffing shortages and pay for civilian employees in the agencies overseen by the ministry still needed attention.
The latest bid to oust Kierwiński came after the lower house rejected an earlier no-confidence motion against him in June. At the time, the PiS party accused him of failing to respond adequately to crises.
A similar motion was rejected in 2024.
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Source: IAR/PAP