Former Polish Health Minister Adam Niedzielski has accused Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński of leaving him exposed to violence by revoking his state protection for political reasons. Speaking after a brutal assault in the city of Siedlce, Niedzielski said the government’s decision was a “purely political move” that left him vulnerable.
“Yes, it was Minister Kierwiński’s decision,” Niedzielski told Polsat News, as cited by wPolityce.pl. “I left office in August 2023, and at that time, it turned out that I still needed this protection. Minister Wąsik’s decision ensured that I retained my protection practically until the end of the Law and Justice party’s rule. Then, one of the first decisions of the new government was, among other things, to revoke my protection, and of course, this was a purely political move.”
He argued that this failure of protection directly contributed to the incident. “Believe me, there are two main reasons why yesterday’s incident occurred. On the one hand, of course, the escalation of hate against me, but on the other, the simple lack of any care or protection from the state,” he said.
He added that he had made no attempt since to reapply for protection from the police, because he knew what the answer would be: “I knew the political attitude was such that I simply had no chance.”
Niedzielski had served under the conservative Law and Justice (PiS) government, which has since been replaced by an administration led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s left-wing Civic Platform.
Police in eastern Poland have arrested two men accused of assaulting Niedzielski in Siedlce on Wednesday afternoon. The attack took place outside a restaurant after the men approached the former minister and began criticizing him over restrictions and decisions introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic. They then punched him in the face and kicked him as he fell to the ground.
Following the attack, Niedzielski wrote on social media: “Several hours ago, I was the victim of a brutal attack. I was beaten by two men shouting, ‘Death to traitors of the homeland.’ I was hit in the face and then kicked while lying on the ground. The whole incident lasted several seconds before the attackers ran away.”
Police later confirmed the suspects had turned themselves in. “The perpetrators of the attack on the former minister of health are already in the hands of Siedlce police officers,” the force said in a statement on X.
Niedzielski, who served as health minister during the pandemic, said threats had been a constant feature of his time in office and were well documented by police and prosecutors. “The issue of threats to me was very well known, both at the police and prosecutor’s levels,” he said, adding that many cases had been dismissed despite the growing risks.
Asked whether Minister Kierwiński should resign, Niedzielski avoided making a direct call. “I try to stay away from politics. Rather, I urge politicians to reflect collectively, because dividing ourselves into tribes and building ever-increasing antagonism leads to precisely this kind of behavior. Our passivity in this regard, for all of us, will ultimately condemn us to nothing but an escalation of violence.”
