The intervention of emergency services at the family apartment of Karol Nawrocki has triggered a wave of questions about chaos in state operations. Following the latest post by Marcin Kierwiński, opposition politicians and journalists from conservative media are accusing the leadership of the Ministry of the Interior and Administration of embarrassment and losing control over the services.
On Saturday evening, a scandalous and unprecedented situation occurred. After anonymous reports of a possible fire and a threat to the lives of people inside, emergency services – the fire brigade and the police – forcibly entered, breaking down the door, into the family home of President Karol Nawrocki in Gdańsk. According to findings reported by Niezalezna, the intervention lasted several minutes. The apartment was empty. As brigadier Jacek Jakóbczyk from the Gdańsk fire brigade told Niezalezna, the services attempted to call back the number from which the report had been sent, but no one answered.
During the night, a meeting took place between representatives of the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland and the leadership of the Ministry of the Interior and Administration, and this morning Prime Minister Donald Tusk held a briefing with ministers and heads of the services.
For over two weeks, there has been a wave of false reports, initially targeting journalists of TV Republika and the station itself, and later other conservative editorial offices as well as individuals from President Nawrocki’s circle. During this time, state services downplayed the threat and at times openly mocked the provocations aimed at TV Republika, particularly those directed at the station’s CEO, Tomasz Sakiewicz.
Since the morning, politicians from the opposition and the presidential camp have been sharply criticizing the actions of the ruling coalition regarding the false reports, which reportedly provoked anger from the head of government.
Kierwiński on a “political weapon”
A post on social media was also published by the head of the Ministry of the Interior and Administration, Marcin Kierwiński.
“The fire brigade and the Police are obliged to respond to reports of a threat to human life. Calling actions carried out in accordance with procedures an attack is something disgusting. There are those who want to turn everything into a political weapon, but here we are talking about procedures that save lives every day.”
The minister’s stance was met with a strong reaction from politicians of Law and Justice (PiS) and journalists associated with the Free Speech House.
“Kierwiński’s behavior is disgusting. Typical for this man. Trying to save his collapsing image, he shifts responsibility for the current situation and further embarrassments onto rank-and-file officers of the State Fire Service. It is you who bears full responsibility for what is happening in the state today. It is you who is once again turning Poland into a cardboard state – one that is already beginning to fall apart. More and more often you try to hold it together with propaganda tape so it does not completely collapse before the eyes of citizens. The guarantee of Poland’s security, Polish families, and normalcy is your resignation. Kierwiński must resign! Immediately!” commented MP Andrzej Śliwka.
Jacek Ozdoba, an MEP from Law and Justice (PiS), assessed: “A message only for the ‘strong together’. What the government communicates is an embarrassment with every post. Is there a pilot on board with us?”
Michał Rachoń, program director of TV Republika, wrote:
“It is Kierwiński who is responsible for coordinating the work of the services subordinate to him. If the Polish Police are conducting an investigation into false alarms, the State Protection Service (SOP) is protecting the victims of such false alarms, and the fire brigade receives a report that something is allegedly burning in the home of a protected individual, then coordinating this so that the services do not interfere with one another is precisely Kierwiński’s responsibility. Because the heads of each of these services are subordinate to the Ministry of the Interior and Administration. If Kierwiński is unable to do this, he should pack up quickly.”