Govt launches commission to examine Russian and Belarusian influence in Poland

Headed by Poland's Military Counterintelligence Service (SKW) chief Gen. Jarosław Strożyk, the commission will look into the alleged Russian and Belarusian meddling in Polish affairs in the last 20 years.

At a press conference held on Wednesday, Prime Minister Donald Tusk assured the commission would focus strictly on exploring the past and existing dangers coming from Russian and Belarusian services.

"The Commission will start its work today. We really want this commission to be free from any temptations, strictly political or party-related, and to present reliable facts—to us, the state authorities, and also to the public—about what the real threats from Russia and Belarus may have looked like in the past and what they look like today," he said.

"We agreed that this commission would work quickly," he added.

Tusk also said that the commission, unlike the previous one run by the Law and Justice party, would not be used to hunt down political opponents.

"Times have changed and methods have changed. So the results of this commission's work, including the names of the people who will be the subjects of this commission's work, will be known to you in the first installment, very quickly, in two months you will receive the first report," he promised.

The head of the commission said it would work in several teams, each devoted to different fields that could have been affected by adverse influence: economy, state security, and media.

"I would like to ask for media restraint regarding the commission members, because according to this regulation, the chairman of the commission represents the commission externally," Gen Stróżyk said.

He added that the commission will use "a wide range of experts - including those who have so far written for various non-governmental organizations, as well as the media". "We are already in contact with some of them," he added.

The general said that each commission member will propose a list of issues to be clarified, and a decision will be made on which of them the body will address within the first 60 days. He emphasized that the commission "does not summon witnesses" but is open to experts and public comments that will arise.

Also present at the press conferencem, Minister of Justice Adam Bodnar stated that the composition of the commission is designed to "represent various communities and to ensure the most comprehensive view of Russian and Belarusian influences".

"I am pleased that among the people who will be cooperating with the commission as experts, not on a permanent basis but depending on the topic and needs, there will also be retired prosecutors who specialize in and have been intensively involved for many years in prosecuting Russian and Belarusian spies," Bodnar said.