„Nowi” i „starzy” w Urzędzie Ochrony Państwa. Część I: ciągłość i zmiana kadr w świetle analizy jakościowej
"New" and "Old" in the Office for State Protection: Part I — Continuity and Change of Personnel in Light of a Qualitative Analysis

Summary/Abstract: The Office of State Protection (1990–2002), the first and, at the time, most significant intelligence service of the Third Polish Republic, remains a controversial institution among certain segments of the public. Arguably, the most important aspect of these controversies concerns continuity and change in terms of personnel. There is a widespread view that, after 1989, it was both justified and feasible to implement the so-called „zero option” within the Polish intelligence services or, at the very least, to intensify hiring efforts and expedite the removal of former Security Service officers from their ranks. In this article, which constitutes the first part of a two-part study, I conduct a qualitative analysis of the Office’s personnel reshuffles, examining its workforce as a whole. I highlight the significant staff turnover resulting from ongoing political disputes and struggles related to the institution’s post-communist origins. Additionally, I present the challenges related to hiring new personnel and demonstrate how the intensification of political rivalry has negatively impacted the stability of the service responsible for Poland’s internal and external security.

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