Dispute over promotions in the shadow of record spending. The government reaches out to the president
Deputy Prime Minister and head of the Ministry of National Defence, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, announced on Monday that, together with Minister Tomasz Siemoniak, he submitted a request to President Karol Nawrocki to meet with all the heads of the services and present plans for 2026. We are counting on a positive response, he added.
Kosiniak-Kamysz said at Monday's press conference that, together with the Minister Coordinator of Special Services, Tomasz Siemoniak, he submitted a request to President Karol Nawrocki “to meet together with all the heads of services and present plans for 2026, budget ones, but also those for which information is classified.”
– I think it is important to talk in a calm atmosphere with those who supervise the government's secret services, to which they are subordinated to an appropriate extent, and to present these plans to the heads of the services together with the president. We will also talk about nominations for the first officer rank, the minister emphasized.
The head of the Ministry of National Defense added that he was counting on a positive response from the president.
Kosiniak-Kamysz said that the upcoming 2026 will be a record year when it comes to the expenditure of the Military Intelligence Service, which will reach PLN 463 million. – For comparison, I will say that in 2022 it was 233 million, and when we took power, i.e. in 2023 – 290 million – emphasized the head of the Ministry of National Defense.
He added that a similar situation occurs in the Military Counterintelligence Service. – 362 million in 2022, 485 – 2023, but in 2026 it is PLN 779 million. 114 percent more compared to 2022 – emphasized Kosiniak-Kamysz.
The Minister also said that in 2025, new inspectorates of the Military Counterintelligence Service were recreated and established in Olsztyn, Rzeszów, Wrocław and Bydgoszcz. As he added, five SKW branches were also established in Przemyśl, Zamość, Opole, Ciechanów and Wałcz.
The Minister Coordinating Secret Services emphasized that in 2026 there will be record budgets of the Internal Security Agency and the Foreign Intelligence Agency. Compared to 2022, they will be higher by 63%, respectively. (ABW) and 68 percent (AW).
– As for the military services, the four services responsible for national security will receive 72 percent. more resources. This is the scale of appreciation by the government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk of the special services, the services that are on the front line of action – added Siemoniak.
He also recalled the decision of Prime Minister Donald Tusk from 2024, restoring 10 ABW delegations that were liquidated in 2017. – They are absolutely necessary because acts of sabotage apply to all of Poland. It is not the case that all problems can be dealt with from Warsaw or several delegations, Siemoniak pointed out.
He noted that the initiative to meet him, the head of the Ministry of National Defense and the President of the Republic of Poland with the heads of the services is an important step to resolve the issue of the president's lack of acceptance of the nomination for the first officer rank for officers of the Internal Security Agency and the Military Counterintelligence Service.
He also assured that the president and his officials receive all information as was the case under previous presidents. – Nothing important, nothing significant, nothing that the president should know in such a hot, difficult situation escapes the attention of the services and such information absolutely reaches the president – added Siemoniak.
Leśkiewicz: in January, the president will meet with Kosiniak-Kamysz, Siemoniak and the heads of the services
In January, President Karol Nawrocki will meet with the Deputy Prime Minister, the head of the Ministry of National Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, Minister Tomasz Siemoniak and the heads of services – the president's spokesman Rafał Leśkiewicz told PAP. He added that he was pleased with the change in the government's position regarding the meeting.
Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said at Monday's press conference that, together with the Minister Coordinator of Special Services, Tomasz Siemoniak, he submitted a request to the president “to meet together with all the heads of services and present plans for 2026, budget ones, but also those whose information is classified.” He added that it is important to also talk about nominations for the first officer rank.
When asked by PAP about the request addressed to the president, Leśkiewicz emphasized that he was “pleased with the change in the position” of the government regarding the meeting. – The president will meet in January with Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz – the head of the Ministry of National Defense, the minister supervising special services Tomasz Siemoniak and the heads of the services – he said.
– It could have happened right away – he emphasized. – It is worth recalling that the president wanted to meet with the service chiefs several months ago. At that time, it was not possible due to the lack of consent from Prime Minister Donald Tusk – noted Leśkiewicz.
The head of the president's office, Paweł Głosernaker, also commented on the matter in a similar way in the Republika Television program. According to him, from the point of view of Poland's security and international policy, it is most important for such a meeting to take place. He added that Nawrocki is in ongoing contact with Kosiniak-Kamysz.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk informed Prime Minister Donald Tusk that President Karol Nawrocki had not signed applications for officer promotions at the beginning of November. He then accused the president of blocking the nominations of 136 future officers of the Military Counterintelligence Service and the Internal Security Agency to the first officer rank.
In response, President Nawrocki stated that, by the decision of the Prime Minister, the heads of the secret services are prohibited from meeting with the President. – The president's representative was refused to provide important information regarding state security during the meeting of the College for Secret Services. My 4 meetings with the heads of the services were canceled – they were supposed to discuss key issues for Poland's security; decisions regarding officer nominations were also to be made, Nawrocki said.
At the end of November, Nawrocki's spokesman, Rafał Leśkiewicz, stated that the president would make decisions on officer promotions if he could meet with the heads of the services. (PAP)
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