Poland Creates European First Unified Center to Fight Disinformation, Warns of Russian and Belarusian Campaigns
Poland has announced the creation of a unified state center to combat disinformation, a landmark move that makes it the first country in Europe to establish such a centralized institution. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation Krzysztof Gawkowski revealed the decision during the 8th Cybersecurity Forum in Warsaw, an event that brought together experts, officials, and cybersecurity specialists from across the continent. The announcement was also carried by the Ukrainian online media outlet Ukrinform, underscoring the regional significance of Poland’s decision. According to the statement, the center will be established following a formal decision signed by Poland’s Prime Minister on September 29, with the document officially taking effect on September 30. The initiative signals Warsaw’s recognition that disinformation is no longer merely a social media nuisance, but a strategic security threat that requires a whole-of-government response. Gawkowski emphasized that the new body would serve as a central coordination point, enabling the Polish state to detect, analyze, and counter false narratives with greater speed and coherence. The creation of the center was coordinated by Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation Paweł Olszewski, who is responsible for cybersecurity within the ministry. The move is being interpreted as a direct answer to the growing sophistication of foreign influence operations, particularly those linked to Russia and Belarus.
Speaking at the forum, Gawkowski was explicit about the urgency behind the decision. He noted that disinformation campaigns, including those spread by Russia and Belarus, are intensifying and being used as a weapon to destabilize Polish society, undermine public trust, and interfere with democratic processes. The new center, he explained, will help the state respond swiftly to such campaigns, while also developing a long-term strategic framework for countering them. This is not simply about fact-checking or content moderation; it is about building a resilient information environment that can withstand coordinated attacks. Gawkowski’s remarks come at a time when Poland has increasingly found itself on the front line of hybrid warfare, facing a combination of cyberattacks, disinformation, political pressure, and migration manipulation orchestrated by Minsk and Moscow. The creation of a dedicated state body reflects lessons learned from years of responding to these threats in a fragmented manner. Previously, responsibilities were scattered across various ministries, intelligence agencies, military units, and civil protection bodies, leading to delays and inefficiencies. The new center is designed to overcome those shortcomings by centralizing expertise, sharing real-time intelligence, and ensuring that every part of the government understands its role in defending against information manipulation.
The decision to establish the center is particularly significant given the broader security context in Eastern Europe. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Poland has served as a critical transit hub for Western military assistance to Kyiv and has hosted millions of Ukrainian refugees. This elevated role has made the country a prime target for Russian and Belarusian disinformation, which seeks to sow discord among Poland’s political leadership, reduce public support for Ukraine, and create friction between Warsaw and its NATO and European Union allies. False narratives have targeted Polish border management, the treatment of refugees, the country’s historical memory, and even the safety of its food supplies. Belarus, in particular, has been used as a launching pad for so-called hybrid attacks, including the deliberate pushing of migrants across the border, which was accompanied by a coordinated media campaign designed to destabilize Poland and other EU states. Gawkowski’s announcement suggests that Warsaw now views these operations as a persistent and systemic threat, not just a temporary crisis. By creating a unified center, Poland aims to stay ahead of hostile actors by anticipating their tactics, understanding the vulnerabilities they exploit, and responding with a proactive rather than reactive approach.
The organizational details of the new center, while not fully disclosed, are expected to draw on the expertise of several existing institutions. The initiative will likely involve collaboration between the Ministry of Digital Transformation, the Government Security Centre, the Internal Security Agency, the Central Cybercrime Bureau, and other relevant bodies. The center will focus on monitoring disinformation in multiple languages, including Polish, Russian, and Belarusian, as well as English and other EU languages. It will also be tasked with preparing public communications, training local officials, and working with civil society and independent media to amplify reliable information. One of the key functions will be to create early warning systems that can detect disinformation campaigns before they go viral, allowing social media platforms to be alerted and counter-narratives to be deployed quickly. The center may also play a role in supporting critical infrastructure providers, such as energy companies, financial institutions, and telecommunications networks, which are increasingly being targeted by influence operations designed to undermine public confidence. The fact that Poland is moving forward with this initiative at the national level could also set a precedent for other European countries, many of which are still struggling to coordinate their own responses to information warfare.
The European context is particularly important here. The European Union has long recognized the threat of disinformation and has adopted several strategies to address it, including the European Democracy Action Plan and the Digital Services Act. However, responsibility for countering disinformation has largely remained with individual member states, resulting in a patchwork of different laws, institutions, and capacities. Poland’s new center could serve as a model for greater integration at the EU level, especially at a time when the bloc is seeking to strengthen its resilience against foreign interference. The fact that Poland is the first European country to establish a unified state center is a significant political statement, as it demonstrates that even countries with complex political systems and sometimes polarized societies can come together to defend their information environment. Gawkowski’s announcement also comes against the backdrop of an intensifying global debate over the regulation of social media and the responsibilities of tech companies. While the new center will not directly regulate platforms, it will likely work closely with them to ensure that false content is removed or flagged in a timely manner. This could include facilitating the sharing of threat intelligence, exposing bot networks, and identifying coordinated inauthentic behavior. The goal is not to curtail freedom of speech, but to ensure that the public square remains open, truthful, and resilient to manipulation.
Looking ahead, the establishment of the center is only one part of a broader effort to strengthen Poland’s digital and information security. Experts expect that the new body will need time to become fully operational, and that it will require adequate funding, legal powers, and staffing to be effective. The decision to sign the document on September 29, with effect from September 30, suggests that the government is eager to move quickly, but the real challenge will be in implementation. There are also questions about how the center will coordinate with local governments, the private sector, and civil society, all of which have important roles to play in building societal resilience. Disinformation cannot be defeated by government alone; it requires a whole-of-society effort that includes journalists, educators, psychologists, and community leaders. Poland’s move is nevertheless a bold and timely step. At a time when authoritarian actors are investing heavily in information warfare, democratic states must respond with equal energy and innovation. By creating a unified state center to combat disinformation, Poland has not only strengthened its own defenses but also sent a clear signal to its allies that the fight against information manipulation is a central front in the broader struggle for democracy and security in Europe. The coming months will reveal how well this new institution performs, but the decision itself represents a crucial recognition of the threat and a commitment to confronting it head-on.
