“This is a political matter, as well as an attempt to transfer the antipathy of a political milieu—today the parliamentary majority—onto Prof. Cenckiewicz,” President Karol Nawrocki said in an interview with Do Rzeczy, defending Sławomir Cenckiewicz. The issue concerns security clearances which, according to the government, the head of the National Security Bureau does not possess.
President Karol Nawrocki addressed the matter of the security clearance of Prof. Sławomir Cenckiewicz, head of the National Security Bureau (BBN). As a reminder, in July 2024, the Military Counterintelligence Service (SKW) revoked Cenckiewicz’s access to classified information. Then, in June 2025, the Provincial Administrative Court in Warsaw overturned that decision, stating that there had been no legal grounds to strip the professor of his clearance. However, the government filed a cassation complaint with the Supreme Administrative Court. Cenckiewicz—like the lawyers involved—maintains that until a final ruling is issued, he holds full security clearance.
Speaking with Do Rzeczy, the president noted that the case predates his presidency: “The case of Prof. Cenckiewicz began before I became president of Poland. I decided to work with Prof. Cenckiewicz knowing about these misguided objections raised against him.” He believes the attacks against the professor are politically driven.
“This is a political matter and also an attempt to project the antipathy of a certain milieu—today’s parliamentary majority—onto Prof. Cenckiewicz,” Nawrocki added.
The president emphasized that, according to the court ruling, Cenckiewicz holds a valid security clearance.
“According to the court’s decision, Prof. Cenckiewicz has a security clearance. He is an excellent head of the National Security Bureau,” the Polish president stressed.
In his view, dismissals or revocations of this kind of clearance have in the past been used as political tools: “We know cases in which the government revoked security clearances in order to eliminate its political opponents. And that is precisely what is happening to Minister Cenckiewicz, who, together with his team, is carrying out his duties toward Poland.”
According to Nawrocki, the issue has already lost any seriousness due to what he describes as the unserious conduct of Donald Tusk’s government in this matter.