In his office at the Ministry of Defense, in the heart of Warsaw, Polish Secretary of State Cezary Tomczyk looked relaxed, with a calmness that contrasts with the portfolio he's in charge of. This experienced 40-year-old, a member of the parliamentary defense committee since 2007, has been entrusted by Prime Minister Donald Tusk (Civic Coalition, center-right), with the supervision of the building of the "East Shield," a vast reinforcement of defense infrastructures along the borders with Belarus and the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, the construction of which was launched with great fanfare in November 2024.

In front of him, two large maps adorned his office, whose sensitive legends he didn't hesitate to explain. "You see these dots, these are the bridges we can blow up, in the event of an invasion," he said. "The shield is divided into three zones: 'Not go,' where the enemy cannot pass because of natural barriers; 'Go,' where he can pass but with difficulty, and 'Must go,' where he is obliged to pass." The infrastructure is seen as a bulwark designed to protect the whole of Europe, not just Poland.

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