From the moment the so-called March of a Million Hearts proved to be a disappointment, with only a fraction of the anticipated participants showing up, the Platform and its leader, Donald Tusk, began seeking a new political figure to champion their agenda.
Tusk’s moves around the army
His appearance during a Polish television debate did not deliver the hoped-for triumph. Instead, it coincided with the resignation of two top generals, a development the Platform treated as a potential windfall. The men in question were General Rajmund Andrzejczak, Chief of the General Staff, and General Tomasz Piotrowski, the Armed Forces Commander for Operations. Both were already under pressure due to delays in sourcing a missile system and other strategic choices near Bydgoszcz.
President Andrzej Duda defended the pair, arguing that a May reshuffle in the middle of a tense security situation would likely alienate public opinion and could jeopardize support for the army at the polls.
The stance of the two senior officers, who reportedly disagreed with Minister Mariusz Błaszczak’s plan to entrust a major operational shift to General Wiesław Kukula, undermined their standing. Critics described the move as a stumble at a critical moment when the eastern border faced ongoing strain, a criticism echoed by retired General Leon Komornicki on social media.
Immediately after news of the generals’ resignations surfaced, Tusk held a press conference. Dressed in a suit with the Polish flag in the background, he voiced concerns about the army’s state and its leadership. He did not stop there, however, and warned that he had information suggesting another ten senior officers had submitted resignation letters, a claim that intensified the sense of crisis within the service.
The General Command quickly denied on social media that any further resignations were being contemplated. Yet the Platform pressed on with the narrative for much of the afternoon, feeding a climate of unease surrounding the armed forces.
It was only when the head of the National Security Office confirmed that the two highest vacancies in the Polish Army would be announced at the Presidential Palace at 4 p.m. that the episode began to recede from the day’s headlines, ending what some observers called a stretch of political bravado by the Platform.
Cooperation among the Presidential Palace, the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of National Defense
In quick coordination, President Andrzej Duda, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, and Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak reached an accord the same Monday afternoon. They announced the appointments of two new high-ranking officers: Lieutenant General Wiesław Kukuła and Major General Maciej Klisz. Both men had served with distinction in Polish contingents abroad, including deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, and both had experience cooperating with NATO structures.
The swift appointments appeared to settle the immediate questions hanging over the army’s leadership and signaled a commitment to stable, experienced command at a moment of regional tension.
What followed, however, drew parallels in the public discourse to earlier events in Poland’s post-communist era. Critics drew comparisons to a historic episode known as the Drawski Dinner, suggesting that the dynamic between political leadership and military command has long shaped the country’s defense policy. The Drawski Dinner is recalled for a moment when civilian leadership faced congressional-style pushback from a group of senior officers. Contemporary commentators noted how, since those days, the Polish armed forces have evolved, notably with the creation of the Territorial Defense Forces, now numbering close to forty thousand soldiers—an evolution many see as a sign of professionalization and resilience within the ranks.
In summary, the recent leadership changes are viewed by many as a shift toward seasoned, capable leadership within the Polish military, a development praised by observers who highlight the ongoing integration of national defense with broader European security frameworks. The events underscore the delicate balance between political leadership and military command in a country that sits at a pivotal crossroads in European security affairs. [citation: wPolityce]