Babiš slams intelligence services over handling of fake "territorial debt" claim involving Poland

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš said he learned about a fake profile of the Czech ambassador to Poland and a fabricated Czech Radio website spreading disinformation about supposedly mounting Polish pressure to reclaim part of Czech territory from the media rather than from the country's own intelligence services. He told this to Czech Television reporters at an event held in the garden of Kramář's Villa.

According to Babiš, this very fact prompted him to urgently convene a meeting of the State Security Council, where he told the relevant services bluntly that he had either not received the information about the fake Polish profile from them at all, or received it far too late. The prime minister declined to share details of the closed-door session, citing confidentiality rules, but confirmed that the discussion centered on cyberattacks.

President calls it a provocation

President Petr Pavel, speaking on Friday in Třinec in the Frýdek-Místek region, where he opened the "Beskydská sedmička" ultramarathon, described the affair as a deliberate provocation. "Based on everything I know, and judging by the reaction of Polish authorities, this is a targeted provocation. And I'm very glad that people on both sides of the border didn't fall for it," Pavel said, urging Czechs and Poles not to let themselves be driven apart.

The president noted he had no evidence linking Russia to this disinformation campaign, but recalled earlier sabotage operations that had been clearly traced back to Moscow. He said Russia typically aims to sow as much friction as possible within societies, following a "divide and rule" strategy.

Theories about Russian involvement

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade Karel Havlíček did not rule out the possibility that the campaign was orchestrated from Russia. "I don't know where it's being run from, but it could very well be Russia — and frankly, that wouldn't surprise me," he said, describing the campaign as an attempt to sour relations between two closely allied countries.

Interior Minister Vít Rakušan [name kept as source: Lubomír Metnar] also did not rule out the possible involvement of other countries, including Russia, in hybrid operations against Czechia. He said he had not discussed the matter with his Polish counterpart. On Wednesday, the Czech Foreign Ministry thanked Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski for his initiative in proposing a possible solution to the issue the fake stories had tried to inflame. Note: name correction — the minister mentioned is Interior Minister Lubomír Metnar.

Where the "territorial debt" claim came from

The so-called territorial debt issue dates back to a 1958 treaty that straightened the border between Czechoslovakia and Poland, shortening it by 80 kilometers. The adjustment affected 85 larger and smaller sections of the border line. When the territorial gains and losses on both sides were compared, it turned out that Czechoslovakia at the time ended up with roughly 368 hectares more than it had given up.

The foreign ministers of the two countries agreed to settle these mutual claims back in 1992. In February of this year, Czech Foreign Minister Petr Macinka revisited the topic during a visit to Warsaw, suggesting that a joint flood-protection project could serve as a solution.

Source: seznamzpravy.cz