The decision to add border crossings to the list of critical infrastructure does not change whether gatherings are legal or illegal, according to Marcin Kierwiński, head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration. He stressed that this measure gives state services more room to react to emerging threats or provocations. Yet farmers react with concern after hearing remarks from Donald Tusk, voiced yesterday, and fear that their protest could be challenged with force.
Prime Minister Tusk announced on Thursday that to guarantee swift delivery of military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, border crossings with Ukraine and certain road and rail sections would be included in the catalog of critical infrastructure facilities. He indicated this would be implemented in the coming hours. Former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki viewed the move as a strong signal that could translate into a hard-line response to the farmers’ protests.
READ ALSO: Border crossings on the list of critical infrastructure. Morawiecki warns: “In practice this means a violent blockade of the farmers’ protest”
At a Friday press conference held at the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Public Administration, Marcin Kierwiński announced that Polish-Ukrainian border crossings were added to the list of critical infrastructure on Thursday.
This is a natural step given Poland’s geographic position next to a war-affected neighbor. The designation of critical infrastructure broadens the tools available to state services to respond quickly to threats, including those arising from provocations.
– Kierwiński noted. He added that the Government Center for Security’s decision to include border crossings on the critical infrastructure list does not directly determine the legality or illegality of protests.
The state’s role is to build mechanisms that enable rapid responses when threats emerge, he said, and this decision serves that purpose.
– the Minister of the Interior and Administration stated.
Will Tusk’s government disperse the peasants?
Deputy Head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration Czesław Mroczek recalled that critical infrastructure encompasses facilities, devices, and services vital to state security and to the normal functioning of public institutions and enterprises, ensuring continuity and safety.
He questioned why border crossing infrastructure was not previously categorized as critical infrastructure, arguing that a functioning state relies on open borders and orderly traffic flows, especially in times of regional tension.
– Mroczek asserted. He added that all general provisions, including those contained in the Crisis Management Act, apply to protect this infrastructure. He stressed that critical infrastructure is not limited to a single object, building, or device but includes the border crossing service itself.
Any action that blocks or hinders border operations and any devices used to do so fall under state intervention in case of disruption to the border crossing service. This goes beyond a handful of sites or a single kilometer of road, he suggested, implying a broader potential for action should dispersal be attempted.
– he said, signaling a possible use of broader measures to safeguard border crossings from disturbances.
READ ALSO: PiS chairman: I appeal to the authorities to enter into dialogue with farmers. We are doing everything we can to ensure that Ukraine wins the war, but not at the expense of Polish agriculture
Moczek added that in a crisis or when actions threaten critical infrastructure, the Prime Minister and ministers may issue orders to protect these assets.
The aim is not to suppress farmers’ right to express views, but to protect two essential values: citizens’ right to assemble and speak freely, and the obligation to safeguard critical infrastructure that underpins the functioning of public services and the economy.
– Mroczek sought to temper his boss’s remarks.
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