I wanted to thank you personally, because today I am among those who are protected by you every day. I know well that this is difficult. Difficult also for you who serve in this direct protection of mine, but difficult also for me, because it is not easy to have people around you all the time who have an insight into your private lives," said President Andrzej Duda during today's celebrations at the Belvedere. In addition to the head of state, Tuesday noon's SOP celebration was also attended by Sejm Speaker Marek Kuchcinski, Senate Speaker Stanislaw Karczewski, Interior and Administration Minister Joachim Brudzinski and National Security Bureau chief Pawel Soloch. "All the best to the officers of the State Protection Service. Special greetings to my entire team." - Marek Kuchcinski wrote on Twitter.

During the celebrations national decorations - Medals for Long Service - were awarded to distinguished officers, promotions to higher ranks. The oath of newly recruited officers was also held.

Joachim Brudzinski, head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, in his speech stressed that "this day will certainly go down in history, because for the first time officers are celebrating this holiday precisely as the State Protection Service." - The place where we met is also no coincidence. It is the Belvedere that was and is the seat of the most important person in the country. Today, the first group of newly recruited officers took the oath precisely on the new banner. Dear officers, from now on it will accompany you. It is very important that it bears the words referring to the service of Poland: God, Honor, Homeland," Minister Brudzinski pointed out.

A letter from Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki was read during the celebration. In it, the Prime Minister noted that the SOP holiday is a special event, "as we celebrate it aware of the changes that are taking place in your formation. I assure all those gathered of my respect and sincere remembrance."

On February 1, a law came into force that established the State Protection Service in place of the Government Protection Bureau. The tasks of the SOP are not limited only to the protection of VIPs and the most important objects. The new service also has tasks involving the identification and prevention of crimes against, among others, Poland, life or health, public safety, safety in communications, public order, assaults and active assault, directed against the protected persons and the security of protected facilities.

text: Seym/CIS

photo: P. Kula