Poland’s Security Council meeting sparks political fire

Since Karol Nawrocki became President of the Republic of Poland, the National Security Council has been convened only once. That meeting took place on September 11 last year, in response to Russian drones violating Polish airspace.

President Karol Nawrocki is convening the council once again. On Tuesday, Rafał Leśkiewicz, the president’s press secretary, announced that invitations had been sent for a meeting of the National Security Council scheduled for Wednesday, February 11, at 2:00 p.m. He also published the list of agenda items. These include:

1. A loan taken out by the government to finance the SAFE Program.
2. Poland’s invitation to the Peace Council.
3. Actions undertaken by state authorities to clarify all circumstances surrounding the Speaker of the Sejm Włodzimierz Czarzasty’s social and business contacts in the East.

Let us take a closer look at the issues that President Karol Nawrocki intends to raise at the National Security Council.

The SAFE Program

Under the SAFE Program (Security Action For Europe), Poland is set to secure EUR 44 billion in preferential loans, positioning itself as the main beneficiary of the fund. These loans are earmarked to finance 139 defense projects, including the reinforcement of the Eastern Shield and anti-drone systems. The full list of projects has not yet been made public.

At the end of January, Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that over 80% of the SAFE Program funds would go to Polish companies producing defense equipment. On January 30, an agreement was signed for the San anti-drone system.

Poland’s stance toward the U.S.

Sławomir Cenckiewicz, head of the Presidential National Security Bureau (BBN), has been critical of the underlying assumptions of the SAFE Program. He openly expresses regret that the program does not allow for continued procurement of equipment from the United States and South Korea. In his view, the SAFE Program’s framework could harm Poland’s cooperation with the American defense industry and deepen the political rift between the European Union and the U.S. Mr. Cenckiewicz worries that the long-term process of building European and domestic capabilities is a leap into the unknown, which could negatively affect relations with the United States.

Lawmakers from the ruling coalition reacted with surprise to the BBN chief’s remarks. They pointed out that a significant portion of the SAFE Program funds is intended for the Polish defense industry. Konrad Gołota, Deputy Minister of State Assets, publicly suggested that the presidential palace’s stance toward the United States was servile.

This is not the first instance in which the presidential camp, led by the BBN chief, has implied that Polish defense policy should be aligned with Washington. Similar suggestions have arisen regarding the national security strategy. President Nawrocki has refused to sign the National Security Strategy, arguing that it should be adapted to the U.S. version. While the U.S. strategy identifies Poland as a key ally on NATO’s eastern flank, it also notes a reduced American engagement in Europe and the potential for stabilizing relations with Russia.

The Peace Council

The second topic on the agenda for the upcoming National Security Council meeting is Poland’s potential membership in the Peace Council, established by U.S. President Donald Trump.

At the most recent World Economic Forum in Davos, Mr. Trump announced the creation of the Peace Council, tasked with overseeing the maintenance of peace in the Gaza Strip. Invitations were accepted primarily by leaders from Arab and Asian countries, as well as Argentina and Indonesia. The only European countries to join the council so far are Hungary and Bulgaria. Israel and Belarus have also expressed interest in membership.

Poland has received an invitation as well. However, membership comes with a condition: a payment of USD 1 billion to a fund controlled by Donald Trump, who will serve as the council’s lifelong head. Without this contribution, membership is limited to a three-year term.

Government skeptical

However, the Tusk government did not approve the payment. President Karol Nawrocki attended the ceremony establishing the Peace Council but explained to Donald Trump that, without the consent of parliament and the government, Poland could not join the new international body.

Politicians from Law and Justice (PiS) and associates of President Nawrocki believe that Poland should participate in the Peace Council. As recently as January, both the president and his team publicly criticized what they saw as an insufficient position from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The foreign minister himself, Radosław Sikorski, like the prime minister, expressed skepticism in public statements regarding Poland’s membership in the Peace Council.

Speaker Czarzasty’s contacts

The third topic concerns Sejm Speaker Włodzimierz Czarzasty, specifically his alleged social and business contacts in the East.

The issue stems from a report by Telewizja Republika. In January, the network published a piece noting that Mr. Czarzasty had not submitted a personal security questionnaire to the Internal Security Agency (ABW, the counterintelligence). According to TV Republika’s findings, the ownership structure of a company where Mr. Czarzasty sat until 2019 included a Russian woman connected to a St. Petersburg auction house founded by a major Russian bank.

Jacek Dobrzyński, press secretary to the minister coordinating Poland’s intelligence services, responded to these allegations. On the platform X, he stated that Speaker Czarzasty has access to top-secret information and that the intelligence services have no reservations in this regard.

Move by the Sejm Chancellery

Marek Siwiec, head of the Sejm Chancellery, has requested that the head of the National Security Bureau expand the agenda to include additional items. He demanded that the meeting clarify the nature of the president’s contacts with pseudo-fan groups and individuals connected to organized crime. He also asked for an explanation of President Nawrocki’s past work as a security guard at the Grand Hotel in Sopot.

President Karol Nawrocki has not hidden his ties to the Lechia Gdańsk football fan community.

Mr. Czarzasty’s response

Włodzimierz Czarzasty addressed the presidential invitation in the Sejm, citing Jacek Dobrzyński’s statement. He also announced that he would question the president about his personal connections during the National Security Council (BBN) meeting, regardless of whether the agenda is amended to include these issues.

“I have nothing to reproach myself for in any matter. Let’s talk about it. I want to tell you, Mr. President, first, I will not be intimidated. Second, I am waiting for a statement regarding your past. That needs to happen. Third, I will not change my course of action toward you. I will not abandon reason, distance, and a calm assessment of what you are doing. Fourth, I have a request: perhaps you could focus on solving the problems of Poles, rather than stirring people up. Poland expects an effective president who delivers results for the country, not a president dependent on Mr. Cenckiewicz and others like him. Mr. Cenckiewicz does not have access to classified information as head of the BBN,” Mr. Czarzasty said.

President Nawrocki’s press secretary, Rafał Leśkiewicz, responded on the platform X, noting that Nawrocki underwent extended security vetting procedures in 2009, 2014, and 2021. He appealed to the Sejm speaker to submit to the same process.

Tensions between the president and the Sejm speaker

This is not the first time sparks have flown between President Nawrocki and Speaker Czarzasty. When the New Left leader became Sejm speaker in November, he suggested that he might block presidential legislative initiatives if he deemed them harmful.

President Nawrocki, in turn, has repeatedly criticized the speaker for his past in the Polish United Workers’ Party before 1989. On the anniversary of the imposition of martial law (13 December), he said that the presence of post-communists in politics, despite their marginal support, is inconsistent with historical justice.

He has also pointedly criticized Mr. Czarzasty’s low personal vote tally in parliamentary elections, mocking the fact that he seeks to compete politically with a president who enjoys a larger electoral mandate.

Key Takeaways

1. President Karol Nawrocki wants Sejm Speaker Włodzimierz Czarzasty to account for his Russian connections. In response, the New Left leader demands that the president explain his past work at the Grand Hotel in Sopot and his ties to Gdańsk-based hooligan groups.
2. The previous meeting of the National Security Council focused on violations of Polish airspace by Russian drones. This time, the meeting’s agenda features issues that are part of a partisan political dispute.
3. Both the presidential camp and PiS have criticized the main assumption of the SAFE Program, which is the procurement of military equipment from European – and predominantly Polish – manufacturers. The president’s circle argues that Poland should obtain more equipment from South Korean and American producers. The coalition accuses the president and Law and Justice (PiS) opposition of being servile toward Donald Trump. A similar division exists regarding the Peace Council, established by the American president.