Karol Nawrocki Holds General Promotion Requests for Key Intelligence Chiefs for Months

The Chancellery of the President has yet to resolve promotion requests submitted in May for the heads of Poland’s three crucial special services, leaving them pending through mid-August.

Unresolved Promotions for Key Intelligence Chiefs

Karol Nawrocki has held applications for months regarding general promotions for the heads of three key Polish special services: the Internal Security Agency (ABW), the Foreign Intelligence Agency (AW), and the Military Intelligence Service (SWW). The documents were sent to the Presidential Palace in May, but no decision had been made by mid-August, with the matter regularly raised by government representatives in talks with the National Security Bureau.

Three of the four heads of Poland’s most important special services still hold the rank of colonel: Col. Rafał Syrysko leads the ABW, Col. Paweł Szota leads the AW, and Col. Dorota Kawecka leads the SWW. Their nominations were formally handed over in March 2024 after prior vetting by relevant institutions. The sole exception is Military Counterintelligence Service (SKW) chief Gen. Jarosław Stróżyk, who received his brigadier general rank in 2011 from then-President Bronisław Komorowski.

International Impact and the Context of Andrzej Poczobut’s Release

According to Onet’s sources, this disparity carries weight in international contacts, as the service heads handle top-level responsibilities while formally remaining colonels, creating a noticeable gap during foreign cooperation. The promotion requests were submitted following the release of journalist and Polish minority activist Andrzej Poczobut on April 28, 2026, after more than five years in prison.

The government and the Presidential Palace both hailed Poczobut’s release as a major success, emphasizing Polish-American cooperation. Following his release, promotion requests for Col. Syrysko, Col. Szota, and Col. Kawecka were sent to the Presidential Palace, with the ABW and AW chiefs’ roles in the release cited as arguments for their nominations, while Kawecka’s promotion had already been in preparation.

Presidential Authority and Lack of Statutory Deadlines

The path to the highest ranks for special services requires the head of state’s involvement. Under regulations such as the Prime Minister’s decree of April 7, 2026, the AW chief submits brigadier general nominations to the Prime Minister, who forwards them to the President of Poland for final appointment. Karol Nawrocki previously appointed a group of Polish Army officers to general and admiral ranks on April 30, 2026, upon the request of the Minister of National Defence.

When Onet inquired about the prolonged proceedings, the Presidential Palace did not explain the delay, noting instead that general nominations are a presidential competence without a statutory deadline for execution. The documents have neither been returned nor outright rejected, leaving the matter open. Minister Coordinator of Special Services Tomasz Siemoniak has discussed the promotions with National Security Bureau head Bartosz Grodecki, though no breakthrough or specific decision date has been announced.

Prior Conflicts Over Officer Nominations

This situation is not the first conflict regarding service officer promotions under Karol Nawrocki, following a previous months-long dispute over first officer ranks for ABW, SKW, and military personnel. In March 2026, the president agreed to appoint 78 SKW soldiers and officers, following a January meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysh, Tomasz Siemoniak, and special services leadership.

A subsequent move occurred in April, when the Presidential Palace announced that Nawrocki signed first officer rank nominations for 96 ABW officers after earlier applications were corrected and supplemented. These officers received their promotions in May and July, resolving that initial conflict, whereas the situation regarding top-tier general ranks for Syrysko, Szota, and Kawecka remains publicly unfulfilled as of August 13, 2026.