“The element for which Russia applauded.” Questions regarding Antoni Macierewicz

General Jarosław Stróżyk, head of the Military Counterintelligence Service and chairman of the commission for investigating Russian and Belarusian influence, presented the effects of the commission's work at a conference on Wednesday. He announced that he would submit an application to the prosecutor's office regarding the possibility of diplomatic treason committed by the former head of the Ministry of National Defense.

READ MORE: Four main conclusions of the report, including 'diplomatic betrayal'

Bartosz Arłukowicz from the Civic Coalition said that in the commission's report he found “sufficient argumentation to refer the case to the prosecutor's office with quite serious accusations.” He admitted that he was surprised by a few threads “about the potential connections of Macierewicz and his environment with our eastern neighbor.”

– I am very much looking forward to the moment when we all really learn about Macierewicz's role in Polish politics – he said. – This man has performed very important functions in recent years. I raise very serious question marks about his intentions, principals and friends – he added.

According to him, if the head of the Military Counterintelligence Service says that he is referring the case to the prosecutor's office, “it means that he has a basis for it.”

Arłukowicz also referred to “lex Tusk”. – This commission did not include in its statutory goal the activities of preventing politicians from practicing politics. And that committee, the PiS committee on “lex Tusk”, said directly – eliminate him from politics. This is the difference between these two commissions, he emphasized.

The commission to investigate Russian influence on the internal security of the Republic of Poland in 2007-2022 was established in 2023 on the initiative of PiS. On August 30, the Sejm elected its members with PiS votes, and on November 29 – already in the new term – it presented a “partial report” and presented recommendations to Donald TuskJacek Cichocki, Bogdan Klich, Tomasz Siemoniak, Bartłomiej Sienkiewicz public positions responsible for state security were not entrusted due to the recognition of the Russian FSB as a partner service in 2010-2014. On the same day, the Sejm dismissed the committee members.

Anna Maria Żukowska from the Left said that in the report of the Stróżyk commission she found “interesting” and new information that “the Polish state was spending money on companies that were supposed to influence American legislation, and theoretically were supposed to work to promote Poland.” . – No such traces of Poland's promotion were found in the activities of these companies – she noted. She added that these were “companies that received huge funds, including from the Polish National Foundation, but not only, and lobbied for Russia's interests in the United States.”

– We spend money on lobbying in the United States, which is not about promoting Polish activities, Polish companies, Polish food, Polish history, but about it being consistent with Putin's policy – she said. In her opinion, “this is one of the circumstantial evidence that should be further investigated.”

Referring to Antoni Macierewicz, she stated that the Order of the White Eagle should be taken away from him. – If a person commits unworthy acts, and there is evidence that these were unworthy acts, then such an order should, of course, be withdrawn in consultation with the chapter of the order – she argued.

Michał Wójcik defended Antoni Macierewicz, reminding that “he was detained many times, arrested many times, served in prison, and was interned.” – If it weren't for people like Antoni Macierewicz, we wouldn't be able to conduct a discussion here. This is the truth, he declared.

Speaking about the results of the work of the commission on Russian influence, he said that “there is no report.” He said “these are slides” that “cost the taxpayer a lot of money.” Each member of this committee earns PLN 17,500. The same as ministers with the rank of secretary of state. The taxpayer pays for this, he said.

Referring to the allegations against Macierewicz regarding his withdrawal from the Karkonosze program (a program for acquiring air tankers), Wójcik said that “the Minister of National Defense had the right to make a decision that he considered to be the best decision from the point of view of Poland's interests.” – Every minister has the right to make such decisions – he added.

Finally, he turned to the representatives of the ruling camp: – There is a war outside the country. Why are you doing this? Because we already know that you are not in power, but that you are chasing the opposition. Why are you doing this? After all, there is applause abroad.

– I'll tell you why – Bartosz Arłukowicz interjected. – We, or rather the generals and members of this commission, are doing this to show the network of Russian influence that has had an impact on government decisions in recent years in Poland, to put it bluntly, after 2015. We will explain why the expert center was hacked and whose recommendation. We will explain whether there was an order and from whom to reveal the spies' data. It all happened in Poland. It also happened that Antoni Macierewicz has been antagonizing Poland for 14 years since 2010, convincing Poles that there was an attack in Smolensk – said the guest of “Kawa na Ława”.

As he added, “if we analyze all his activities, there is a huge question mark next to the name Macierewicz.”

– Talking here at this table about the diplomatic betrayal of Mr. Antoni Macierewicz is truly something completely unheard of – replied Wójcik. He added that “it was none other than Antoni Macierewicz who created another military formation, Territorial Defense Forcestoday there are 50,000 people there. This is diplomatic betrayal. It was under Antoni Macierewicz that the peak was achieved NATOafter which American troops are permanently stationed in Poland. This was diplomatic betrayal, he said.

The head of the president's office, Małgorzata Paprocka, said that there is a “subtle difference” between the current commission on Russian influence and the one established by PiS. – A commission established by law, with a full appeal path, with the right of the opposition to appoint its experts, with guaranteed access to documents – she said, referring to the “lex Tusk”. – Now we have an internal government commission. In more or less the same way, the Prime Minister can establish a bridge or football club within the government administration, with people who are subordinate to him – she ironized.

– We have a speech by General Stróżyk, who does not act as the head of the Military Counterintelligence Service, but as a subordinate to the Prime Minister, and he actually says nothing new – she said. – We have arguments on the table that we have known for many months – he added.

Paprocka, addressing the government, said: – Are there no other issues to investigate when it comes to Russian issues? There are no energy contracts, no issues related to Nord Stream? Are there any issues of military cooperation with the services? Here I understand that you are not interested in this topic.

– If the commission is headed not by a politician but by the head of the services, it also guarantees its substantive content and not some political chutzpah or fun. This report shows what could be shown publicly. However, there is a lot of information that we probably do not know at this table – said Maciej Żywno from Poland 2050.

According to him, “if Minister Macierewicz cancels 14 military modernization programs in 2016 with one decision, this is an element for which Russia applauded.”

– Then Minister Błaszczak unblocked them and you called this country a great modernization of the army. If there is a situation in which there is material for the prosecutor's office for diplomatic treason, it means that this is a serious element pointing not only to one person, but to the entire community, which tried not to react to the information you had from Americans about the potential threat of conflict Russia With Ukraine – said the Deputy Speaker of the Senate.

– Law and Justice by appointing this commission, he was spoiling the state. And we repealed this commission and voted to liquidate it. For me, it is incomprehensible that a few months after we voted to liquidate this commission as an unconstitutional body violating the democratic legal order, after the president vetoed the repeal of the work of this commission, it is still working and being used for what it was intended for. established, i.e. to be a cudgel against the opposition of the current government – commented Przemysław Wipler from Confederation.

In his opinion, such matters should be dealt with by the services “without any commissions.”

– I don't like many of Antoni Macierewicz's public deeds and actions, but taking away the Order of the White Eagle from him and turning him into a spy is simply a political riot that will result in nothing important for citizens – he said.