Poland's Interior Minister calls urgent security meeting after President Nawrocki rejects agency head

Presidential rejection and emergency briefing

Polish Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński and Deputy Minister Czesław Mroczek called an urgent briefing with the command of the State Protection Service (SOP) on Thursday, 1 October 2026, at 12:00. The gathering at the agency's headquarters was confirmed by Ministry of the Interior and Administration spokeswoman Karolina Gałecka. The meeting followed a formal refusal by President Karol Nawrocki to approve the appointment of Colonel Tomasz Jackowicz as the permanent commander of the security service. Presidential spokesperson Rafał Leśkiewicz announced the veto on social media on Tuesday, 29 September 2026, stating that Nawrocki submitted a negative assessment to Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Under statutory law, the Prime Minister appoints and dismisses the SOP commander upon a motion from the Interior Minister, but requires explicit agreement from the President.

Executive dispute over command authority

Leśkiewicz stated that Nawrocki remains ready to evaluate and agree upon an alternative candidate who provides a guarantee of professional and stable leadership for the security agency. The rejection prompted immediate opposition from cabinet officials, with Kierwiński declaring full support for the current leadership of the formation while criticizing the president's decision.

“Chaos and mess is the only program that the head of state has for the country and Poles. We will manage despite this sabotage.”

Special Services Coordinator Tomasz Siemoniak criticized the statutory power given to the presidency over internal ministry appointments, arguing that the rule enables political obstruction against qualified officers. Siemoniak compared the blocked appointment to institutional tensions surrounding the Constitutional Tribunal and foreign diplomacy. Government spokesperson Adam Szłapka also attacked the presidential decision, questioning whether the presidential palace was attempting to paralyze state functions.

Nine months of leadership turnover

The leadership vacancy at the State Protection Service developed following security lapses connected to the prime minister's security detail. In September 2025, thieves stole a Lexus automobile belonging to Prime Minister Donald Tusk's family from outside his private residence in Sopot. Following the theft, the director and deputy director of the prime minister's protection bureau were dismissed from their posts. The head of the SOP, Brigadier General Radosław Jaworski, took outstanding vacation time and subsequent medical leave before the interior ministry initiated formal disciplinary proceedings against him in mid-January 2026.

Jaworski was formally suspended in January 2026, at which point Colonel Tomasz Jackowicz assumed acting command duties. In July 2026, the interior ministry reassigned the acting leadership role to Colonel Maciej Lewiński. President Nawrocki consented to the formal dismissal of General Jaworski in mid-September 2026, clearing the way for a permanent nomination. However, Nawrocki's subsequent rejection of Jackowicz on 29 September 2026 left the agency under temporary command, prompting Kierwiński to convene Thursday's command session to address the ongoing operational structure.