President Karol Nawrocki signed 96 officer nominations for the Internal Security Agency (ABW) and 109 state decorations for intelligence agency personnel on April 14th.
President Approves Long-Delayed Nominations
President Karol Nawrocki signed 96 first-degree officer nominations for ABW personnel and awarded a total of 109 state decorations to members of the Military Intelligence Service (SWW) and the Foreign Intelligence Agency (AW), Presidential Spokesman Rafał Leśkiewicz announced Wednesday morning.
Leśkiewicz emphasized that the President’s decision regarding the officers stemmed from a January 15th meeting, consultations with intelligence chiefs, Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, and, most importantly, Minister for Coordination of Special Services Tomasz Siemoniak. Siemoniak himself thanked the President for signing the nominations on Tuesday via a post on X.
ABW to Receive New Officers
The initial requests for nominations were submitted at the end of last year, revised and supplemented following the January 15th meeting, and the President decided yesterday to appoint 96 ABW personnel to the first officer rank, according to Leśkiewicz.
Delays Attributed to Improperly Prepared Requests
When questioned about the lengthy process, Leśkiewicz stated that the issue lay with the governing parties, adding that if the requests had been “prepared properly,” the President’s decisions would have been made more quickly.
He referenced a similar situation with award nominations for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where Foreign Minister Sikorski artificially created a controversy regarding the President’s refusal of state decorations for long-serving ministry employees, only to discover the nominations were poorly prepared.
Decorations for Intelligence Agencies
The President also decided to award a total of 109 state decorations to personnel of the Foreign Intelligence Agency and the Military Intelligence Service, the spokesman added.
This includes 109 soldiers, officials, and civilian employees who will receive state decorations. Leśkiewicz affirmed that everything proceeded according to procedures, the plan, and Polish law.
Breakdown of Decorations Awarded
According to a statement released by the President’s Chancellery on Wednesday morning, the President approved the awarding of 53 Crosses of Merit, 52 Medals for Long Service, 3 Military Crosses, and the Military Cross of Merit.
End to Nomination Dispute
The President’s decision concludes a dispute lasting over six months regarding nominations for ABW officers, and previously for the SKW. During this time, Minister for Coordination of Special Services Tomasz Siemoniak repeatedly urged the President to unblock the officer nominations, reminding him that “requests were submitted twice.”
Prior Approvals for SKW Nominations
On March 20th, the President, at the request of Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, approved the appointment of 78 soldiers and SKW personnel to the first officer rank (lieutenant). This followed a January meeting between the President, the Minister of National Defence, the Minister for Coordination of Special Services, and the heads of ABW, the Foreign Intelligence Agency, SKW, and the Military Intelligence Service.
Initial Dispute Over Unsigned Nominations
Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced in early November 2023 that President Karol Nawrocki had not signed nominations for officer promotions. He accused the President of blocking the first-degree officer nominations of 136 future officers of the Military Counterintelligence Service and the Internal Security Agency.
Siemoniak Welcomes Decision
Minister for Coordination of Special Services Tomasz Siemoniak responded to the information provided by the President’s spokesman, stating, “It’s about time! ABW officers have been waiting for the President’s decision on first-degree officer nominations since November, and according to the spokesman’s statement, the promotions were signed yesterday. Thanking the officers on behalf of the officers, I hope that officer nominations will never again be an element of political games. Neither the officers nor the services deserve it.”
Siemoniak also announced that he would submit further requests for the President’s approval.
