Since 2009, Karol Nawrocki has submitted multiple security clearance questionnaires, none of which have raised concerns with Poland’s Internal Security Agency (ABW). At least two of these verifications included a review of his apartment in Gdańsk. “The conclusion is clear: entering the political arena against Tusk triggers the prosecution, secret services, media attacks, and smear campaigns. I speak from personal experience,” said Professor Sławomir Cenckiewicz.
On social media today, historian and former IPN official Sławomir Cenckiewicz detailed the security screenings Nawrocki underwent while serving in various official capacities. He emphasized that “undergoing an extended vetting process and obtaining security clearance is both a test and a sign of real responsibility for serving the Polish state.”
16 Years Under ABW Scrutiny
“This is important context for understanding who Karol Nawrocki is, the roles he has held, and how he has consistently been regarded by the state and its security services. Now 42 years old, Nawrocki has been under continuous ABW vetting since the age of 26,” – Cenckiewicz wrote, adding that the current attempt to discredit Nawrocki with narratives of “criminal ties” is, in his view, a crude manipulation made in bad faith.
Cenckiewicz pointed to three specific security questionnaires submitted by Nawrocki—starting in 2009, when he joined the Museum of the Second World War, then again in 2014, and in 2021 when he became President of the Institute of National Remembrance (IPN). Each clearance allowed access to “top secret” classified information. Additionally, a 2021 certificate granted him access to EU classified data.
“The apartment issue first came up in 2011 and was therefore reviewed at least twice—during the 2014 and 2021 screenings. It was officially declared in the asset disclosure section of the questionnaire,” – the historian noted, pointing out that Nawrocki raised no red flags throughout the terms of multiple prime ministers: Tusk, Kopacz, Szydło, and Morawiecki.
He also stated that Nawrocki’s property was declared in his asset statements on at least two occasions.
Crisis in Trzaskowski’s Camp
“The conclusion is clear: competing with Tusk triggers the full machinery—prosecutors, secret services, media campaigns, and hate. I know this from experience,” – said Cenckiewicz, who is currently under investigation by the prosecutor’s office overseen by Minister Bodnar, related to the declassification of documents on the “Vistula Line” military plans.
He added that the original plan was to launch the “operation with Mr. Jerzy” between the first and second rounds of the presidential election, once it became apparent that Sławomir Mentzen had no path to the runoff.
“But things have been on fire for weeks. There’s now a real possibility that Trzaskowski could lose in the first round—so they accelerated the timeline. For weeks, it’s been an open secret that Nawrocki’s apartment was being treated by Trzaskowski’s campaign and the services as their ‘last resort’,” – Cenckiewicz argued.
He went on to pose a series of questions to Nawrocki’s main rival, Rafał Trzaskowski, asking whether similar ABW procedures were applied to him during his tenure as Deputy Foreign Minister, and if he held appropriate security clearances.
“Has any part of your questionnaire ever raised sufficient concern with ABW to warrant deeper investigation or separate discussion? And most importantly—does Trzaskowski currently, as Mayor of Warsaw, hold a security clearance, and if so, for what level?” he asked.