A public dispute has erupted within Poland’s government, pitting the presidential palace against the country’s security services over access to classified details and stalled officer appointments. The conflict centers on Sławomir Cenckiewicz, head of the National Security Bureau, and has quickly devolved into a public exchange of accusations between presidential and ministerial spokespeople.The disagreement comes amid heightened political tensions between President Karol Nawrocki and Prime Minister Donald Tusk, raising questions about the stability of Poland’s national security apparatus.
A dispute has erupted between the Polish presidential palace and security services over access to classified information, centering on the head of the National Security Bureau, Sławomir Cenckiewicz. The disagreement comes as President Karol Nawrocki has stalled on officer nominations, reportedly due to objections from Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
What accusations did Jacek Dobrzyński level against Rafał Leśkiewicz?
Who participated in Thursday’s meetings with the president?
What did Rafał Leśkiewicz say about Sławomir Cenckiewicz?
What issues were discussed at the president’s meeting with security chiefs?
Presidential spokesperson Rafał Leśkiewicz initially explained Cenckiewicz’s absence from a Thursday meeting with security chiefs by stating the discussion involved the bureau chief himself, and that Cenckiewicz did possess access to classified information. This explanation drew sharp criticism from Jacek Dobrzyński, the spokesperson for the minister coordinating special services.
Presidential Spokesperson Clashes with Minister’s Spokesperson
Dobrzyński, who was also not present at the Thursday meeting, responded Saturday morning with a strong rebuke. “No matter how much the presidential spokesperson tries to distort reality, the matter is clear and obvious: Mr. Sławomir Cenckiewicz does not have access to classified information, whether anyone likes it or not. Mr. Rafał Leśkiewicz, please do not spread disinformation. The head of the BBN cannot participate in classified meetings,” he wrote.
Leśkiewicz countered by pointing out that Dobrzyński was also excluded from the meeting, suggesting he too may lack the necessary security clearance. He further asserted that Dobrzyński “should not have access,” citing the disclosure of information from a confidential internal security agency investigation during the election campaign.
Leśkiewicz added that Cenckiewicz’s security clearance had not been revoked by a court, as he had filed an appeal, and under Polish law, such an appeal suspends the decision’s legal effect.
Minister’s Spokesperson Accuses Presidential Spokesperson of Lying
Dobrzyński dismissed Leśkiewicz’s reasoning as “an incredible lack of logic.” “Rafał Leśkiewicz assumes that anyone who did not attend this meeting (I indeed did not) does not have security clearance,” he wrote.
“Secondly, the presidential spokesperson is lying again. Contrary to his insinuations and slander, I have never broken the law. Thirdly, Mr. Sławomir Cenckiewicz does not have access to classified information, which he and his closest associates know very well. I will systematically and kindly remind everyone of this,” Dobrzyński stated.
Growing Rift Between Presidential Palace and Security Services
Cenckiewicz’s absence from Thursday’s discussions between President Nawrocki and the heads of security services and ministers sparked the initial controversy. Leśkiewicz had previously explained that the meeting concerned Cenckiewicz directly, while denying any lack of access to classified information.
The meeting agenda included national security and pending officer appointments, which President Nawrocki had refused to sign. Sources close to the president indicated the refusal stemmed from a directive by Prime Minister Tusk, who reportedly prohibited security chiefs from meeting with the president.
The dispute also extends to questions surrounding the background of Dobrzyński, the minister’s spokesperson. In mid-December, Niezalezna.pl reported, citing documents from the Institute of National Remembrance, that Dobrzyński joined the Citizen’s Militia Reserve in 1986 and was also a member of the communist Socialist Youth of Poland. The Citizen’s Militia Reserve was a paramilitary organization known for its brutal suppression of dissent during the Polish People’s Republic era.
