Polish security services warn of high-probability plot against Tusk

Polish security services said on 11 October 2026 they had received information indicating a high probability of an assassination attempt against Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz. Special services spokesperson Jacek Dobrzyński told reporters authorities were treating the threat as "deadly serious" and said, "We are talking about a high probability of these threats being carried out."notesfrompoland.com+1

The announcement matters because it concerns the two most senior figures in the Polish government, and because the security services judged the information credible enough to convene an emergency meeting and make a public statement. Unlike routine threats that police receive continuously, this signal was treated as more serious. Government spokesman Adam Szłapka told broadcaster TVN that authorities constantly receive a "cascade of indications" regarding potential threats, but that "this signal was more disturbing than previous" ones.channelnewsasia.com

What the security services announced

Security services convened a special meeting at the Internal Security Agency's counterterrorism centre on 11 October 2026, bringing together officials from the police service, the government's protection service and the Internal Security Agency. Interior ministry spokesperson Karolina Galecka said Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński and Special Services Minister Coordinator Tomasz Siemoniak had ordered measures following the warning. Speaking after the meeting, Dobrzyński said authorities were "treating this matter very seriously."

The threat was first identified by the State Protection Service (SOP), which is responsible for ministers' security, and passed the information on to the police. Interior ministry spokeswoman Karolina Gałecka confirmed this sequence after the emergency meeting. The State Protection Service forwarded an email containing information about the potential attack to police. Government spokesman Adam Szłapka indicated that one element of the warning had come via email, but added that "it was not just an email" that raised concern.

Dobrzyński said he would be able to provide further information once the police and security services had carried out further investigation. He criticised "pseudo-experts" in the media who had expressed doubt about the announcement, saying, "We're talking about threats directed at the most important people in the country." He added that the information was so serious and credible that the decision was made to share it publicly. No further details on the alleged plot were released.

Where the warning came from

At the time of the reporting, no details had been released regarding where and how the alleged attacks were expected to take place, who might be behind them, nor what the source of the information was. Gazeta Wyborcza reported that an unnamed "official close to the prime minister" had said the threat came from "right-wing extremists" and that the perpetrators were Poles. Another source within the intelligence services told the newspaper the threat was treated more seriously because it contained information about addresses linked to Tusk and Kosiniak-Kamysz.

Recent months have brought a series of related detentions. Last month, police detained a 56-year-old man in the city of Przemyśl after he posted a video on social media threatening Tusk. Earlier in September 2026, a 52-year-old man in the town of Oława was arrested for making criminal threats against the prime minister online. Also in September, security services detained three teenagers accused of being part of online groups promoting neo-Nazism and violence.

What remains unknown

Poland has also faced a wave of violent incidents in schools. Three knife attacks on schools left one person dead and many injured. In response, police carried out checks at over 64,000 locations, including many schools, and detained over 100 people, most of them teenagers found to have made threats or been in possession of weapons. A school caretaker died in a knife attack.

Dobrzyński said further information would be released once police and security services complete further investigation. No date has been set for a next announcement. The spokesperson declined to give details about the nature of the attack or where the warnings had come from, saying only that he would provide more information after further investigation.