Europe
Poland: Suspect arrested over plot to assassinate Tusk and Defence Minister Kosiniak-Kamysz
Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Sunday, October 11, that a man accused of planning an assassination attack on him and Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz has been detained in Lower Silesia. The plot came to light through an email forwarded by the State Protection Service.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced on Sunday, October 11, that a man accused of planning an assassination attack on him and on Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz has been detained. Tusk thanked the police for their “swift and decisive action”, according to the BBC.
How the plot came to light
Earlier in the day the Interior Ministry had said that police received credible information about possible attacks on the two politicians. Poland’s security services convened a special meeting on Sunday, and a spokesman said the authorities were treating the threat as “deadly serious”.
Interior Ministry spokeswoman Karolina Galecka said the plot was uncovered when the State Protection Service (SOP), which is responsible for the security of government members, forwarded to the police an email containing information about the possible attack.
The suspect was arrested in the Lower Silesia region and is a Polish national, said Jacek Dobrzynski, spokesman for the Special Services Co-ordinator. “In this case we are talking about a strong likelihood that these threats could actually be carried out,” he said. The authorities have not disclosed the suspect’s identity or motive.
The targets
Donald Tusk has been prime minister of Poland since 2023, having held the same office from 2007 to 2014. From 2014 to 2019 he was president of the European Council. Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, the defence minister and deputy prime minister, is responsible for the country’s large rearmament programme; Poland spends more than 4% of its GDP on defence, one of the highest shares in NATO. He also leads the Polish People’s Party (PSL), a partner in the coalition government.
A country on alert
The arrest comes at a time of heightened concern over Poland’s internal security, with the country on NATO’s front line facing Russia. Last month a Russian Mi-8 helicopter entered Polish airspace, one of many border violations by missiles and drones from Russia and also from Ukraine. The Polish government has announced EUR 24 billion for shelters and civil defence up to 2031.
On the same day, according to the BBC, Tusk attributed a series of knife attacks in Poland to the glorification of violence online. The authorities have not said whether the case has any link abroad. The investigation is continuing.
