President Karol Nawrocki is proceeding with the declassification of an annex to a report on Poland’s former Military Intelligence Services (WSI), prompting criticism from Minister Waldemar Żurek.
President Advances WSI Report Annex Release
Presidential spokesperson Rafał Leśkiewicz announced Thursday that President Karol Nawrocki has forwarded the annex to the report on the WSI to the Speakers of the Sejm and Senate for review. The president is now at the “formal and legal stage” of declassifying and publicly releasing the annex.
President Nawrocki previously stated he would publish the annex “if there are no legal obstacles.”
Żurek Condemns Potential Release as “Absurd”
Minister Żurek, questioned on TVN24 Friday morning, argued that publishing “any reports” concerning Polish intelligence activities “in various periods of Polish statehood” is “simply absurd” given the current geopolitical situation.
Żurek stated that in Moscow, they are “rubbing their hands,” saying “we have useful idiots again.” He added that such political “hype” invariably leads to “disaster,” potentially endangering the lives of Polish collaborators and agents worldwide.
Cenckiewicz’s Resignation and Presidential Office Tensions
Żurek criticized the potential publication amid the recent resignation of Sławomir Cenckiewicz as Head of the National Security Bureau (BBN). He suggested a “crack” exists within the presidential chancellery and that Cenckiewicz’s presence was a “burden.”
Cenckiewicz resigned Wednesday, citing “illegal actions” by the Donald Tusk government regarding access to classified information. Żurek speculated the resignation may be linked to declining presidential approval ratings or Cenckiewicz’s limited access to information despite his important role.
Background of the WSI Report and Previous Obstacles
The issue of the WSI report annex dates back to 2007, when the report of the verification commission led by Antoni Macierewicz was published. The commission investigated the Military Intelligence Services, which operated from 1991-2006 and were disbanded by the PiS government in 2006.
The WSI faced accusations of irregularities, including a lack of vetting of personnel from the former communist era, tolerating espionage for Russia, involvement in the FOZZ scandal, and illegal arms trading. President Lech Kaczyński published the initial report in February 2007, leading to investigations – most of which were later closed.
Constitutional Tribunal Ruling and Past Presidential Decisions
In 2008, the Constitutional Tribunal ruled that President Kaczyński’s publication of the report in 2007 was legal. However, it found unconstitutional the denial of the right to be heard by the verification commission, access to case files, and the right to appeal to individuals named in the report.
Following the Tribunal’s ruling, President Kaczyński did not publish the annex, stating it contained too much interpretation rather than fact. Presidents Bronisław Komorowski and Andrzej Duda maintained similar positions, while associates of President Nawrocki indicated he would decide on potential declassification.
