Politicians are playing with fire. A huge hole in Poland’s security system

The current Act on the Protection of Classified Information from 2010 excludes as many as a dozen or so groups of people from the obligation to check information by the services. There are many politicians among them – MPs, senators or key people in the state who, due to their functions, have access to secret data.

Vulnerability in the system. Thousands of people beyond the control of the services

According to experts, this means that up to several dozen thousand people in Poland can use such information without full counterintelligence verification. This is a unique situation compared to other NATO and European Union countries, where much more stringent rules apply.

The problem is a consequence of the overlap of different legal systems, information protection, rules of operation of the Sejm and mechanisms of democratic control. As a result, a “gray zone” was created in which state security and democratic principles limit each other.

Controversy over access to secrets

In recent years, there have been several high-profile situations showing the weakness of the system. Here we can mention the example of Włodzimierz Czarzasty, who, although he participated in the work of the committee for secret services, did not undergo the full procedure for obtaining access to “top secret” information, and at the same time, as the Marshal of the Sejm, he obtains such access by operation of law.

Similar controversies also concerned Marian Banaś. Even though the services had withdrawn his security clearances, the former president of the Supreme Audit Office still had access to secret materials thanks to his position.

Experts also draw attention to cases of questionable contacts of some politicians and public figures with foreign countries, including Russia. The most striking example here is Grzegorz Braun, who even flaunts his pro-Russian views. In the context of the war in Ukraine and the intensified activity of Russian services, such situations are considered particularly risky.

The services are sounding the alarm, but there are no changes

According to experts, the current model makes it easier for foreign intelligence agencies to operate. Legal loopholes can be used to recruit or influence people with access to sensitive data.

At the same time, relations between politicians and the services remain tense. On the one hand, there are allegations of excessive surveillance, on the other hand, there is a lack of trust that makes it difficult to introduce effective control mechanisms.

Although there have been announcements of reforms in recent years, real changes have not yet been introduced. Experts indicate that further postponing the decision may deepen the problem, especially in the situation of growing threats to the security of Poland and the whole of Europe.