The European Parliament elections lie ahead, deciding the direction Europe will go. At this time, we must be particularly wary of the influence of foreign states – mainly Russia and Belarus – that seek to destabilise the situation in Poland and across the continent.

The upcoming elections, the next weeks and months, will be decisive for the next few years, if not decades, in terms of security, including for our country. The main task of the governments of the Western world, the cooperation of politicians, companies and research centres will be to counter the influence of hostile states, using all available methods and technologies

– said Prime Minister Donald Tusk during a press conference attended by the Minister of Justice, the Minister of the Interior and Administration, the Coordinator of the Special Services and the Chairman of the Commission, Gen. Jarosław Stróżyk.

The Commission for Investigating Russian and Belarusian Influence will focus on what has already happened and what has or may also directly impact on the present and future.  

Many doubts have been raised in the public space, such as the issue of record coal imports from Russia under the Law and Justice government, bizarre careers such as Colonel Gaia's, or cases that were not cleared up by the services and prosecution under the previous government.. I am referring here to the email affair

– Minister of the Interior and Administration and Coordinator of Special Services Tomasz Siemoniak added.

On 5 June, the first meeting of the Commission took place.

The Commission for Investigating Russian and Belarusian Influence on the internal Security and interests of the Republic of Poland was established on 21 May by order of the Prime Minister. The Head of the Military Counterintelligence Service, General Jarosław Stróżyk, was appointed chairman.

General Stróżyk's decision to lead this Commission is a testament to its importance in these times. It is a guarantee that the Commission's work is conducted with utmost professionalism and delivers real value,

as Donald Tusk has acknowledged.

The Commission is hosted by the Minister of Justice.

Over the past few days, the Ministry of Justice, in close collaboration with General Jaroslaw Stróżyk, has been diligently preparing for the Commission's work. This involved providing office and organisational space, as well as ensuring the secure handling of classified information, all to facilitate the Commission's operations. I think we will provide full substantive and organisational support for the Commission's subsequent activities

- informed Minister of Justice Adam Bodnar.

The Commission will examine the period 2004-2024. As per the order, the Commission is diligently working to prepare its first report within a span of 60 days from the commencement of its work.

Our utmost priority is to ensure that this Commission, as evidenced by its composition, remains a body devoid of political or party affiliations. This is because it gives state authorities and the public a reliable picture of the real threats from Russia and Belarus in the past and what they are like today. We already know that these two countries and their services are the most active in Poland,

as the Head of Government emphasised.

The Prime Minister added that he would personally ensure that the Commission's work would not be used in future presidential elections.

In a personal note, I am driven by my own reasons and experiences to vigilantly watch over and caution against any attempts to weaponise this issue for political gain. For us, the most important thing is to obtain useful knowledge for the state so as to counter Russian and Belarusian influence on our internal security,

as the Head of Government emphasised.

The Commission for Investigating Russian and Belarusian Influence will operate with utmost discretion, ensuring no media hearings.

The Chairman and 11 experts – this is the composition of the Commission for Investigating Russian and Belarusian Influence – started its work. According to the order, the Prime Minister and the heads of key ministries in the area recommended the members. The composition of the Commission was presented at a press conference by Gen. Jarosław Stróżyk, who will direct its work.

Prime Minister's recommendation:

• Irena Lipowicz, Professor of Social Sciences, former Polish Ambassador to Austria and former Ombudsman
• Dominika Kasprowicz, Professor at the Jagiellonian University, PhD in the Institute of Journalism, Media and Social Communication at the Jagiellonian University

Recommendation of the Minister of Finance:

• Katarzyna Bąkowicz, PhD in social communication and media studies, assistant professor and lecturer at the School of Social Sciences and Humanities, with a research focus on disinformation

Recommendation of the Minister of Digital Affairs:

• Bartosz Machalica, historian and political scientist, DSS, current member of the College of the IPN

Recommendation of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage:

• Adam Leszczyński, DSS Hab., Associate Professor at the Warsaw School of Social Sciences and Humanities, current Director of the Institute for the Heritage of National Thought

Recommendation of the Minister of Defence:

• Grzegorz Motyka, DSS Hab., Associate Professor, currently Director of the Military Historical Bureau

Recommendation of the Minister of State Assets:

• Cezary Banasiński, JD, Professor at the University of Warsaw, former President of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection

Recommendation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs:

• Tomasz Chłoń, former ambassador to Estonia and Slovakia, former head of NATO in Moscow

Recommendation of the Minister of the Interior and Administration:

• Paweł Białek, Colonel, former Deputy Head of the Internal Security Agency from 2007 to 2012

Recommendation of the Coordinator of Special Services:

• Agnieszka Demczuk, PhD Hab. Professor at Maria Curie-Sklodowska University (UMCS) in Lublin, working on countering disinformation
• Paweł Ceranka, DSS, Deputy Director of the Archives and Information Management Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Gen. Jarosław Stróżyk stressed that a range of experts would support the Commission and would work in thematic teams.

In accordance with this order, I also intend for the Commission to work in teams on the topics we will investigate. It means the area of the economy, broad state security and the media, disinformation, and influences also in the area,

explained the Chairman of the Commission.

The government will report regularly on the results of the Commission's work.