The European Commission is prepared to implement Poland’s plan without delay, according to spokesman Thomas Regnier. Meanwhile, Poland’s Deputy Minister of National Defence, Cezary Tomczyk, announced that the government will present an alternative plan for distributing funds originally intended for the European SAFE programme within “several dozen hours.” The Prime Minister has referred to this alternative as the “Polska Zbrojna” (Armed Poland) programme.
President Karol Nawrocki, a nationalist politician supported by the Law and Justice (PiS) party, and a prominent opponent of Prime Minister Donald Tusk, announced on Thursday that he would veto the legislation enabling the government to accept the European loan for the SAFE programme, citing concerns about its implications for national sovereignty. Nevertheless, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced on Friday his commitment to exploring ways to access €43.7 billion in defence loans from the European Union.
Consequently, on Friday, the government adopted a resolution on the Polish Armed Forces Programme, which authorises the ministers of defence and finance to sign an agreement related to the EU’s SAFE programme. According to this resolution, the loan will be repaid with funds not included in the minimum defence spending limit.
Thomas Regnier, spokesman of the Commission, posted on X today that the Commission is “finalising the loan agreement #SAFE for Poland – 15% advance already in April. Time is of the essence, which is why @EU_Commission is ready to implement the Polish plan without delays.”
The resolution on the Armed Poland Programme confirms the government’s commitment to securing financial resources for the Police, Border Guard, and State Protection Service, and to enhancing road and railway infrastructure for national security. The Deputy Minister of National Defence stated that the presidential veto is hindering funding for these services.
Friday’s resolution authorises the Minister of National Defence and the Minister of Finance and Economy to represent the Polish government and to sign the SAFE loan agreement, which the Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego (BGK) will facilitate, and to be backed by a State Treasury guarantee.
The Minister of Defence will coordinate activities related to the SAFE program and handle communications with the European Commission. Government entities involved must implement an internal control system for fund management, ensuring project monitoring and fraud prevention. The head of the National Revenue Administration will audit the SAFE loan funds, and the responsible minister will report annually on compliance with anti-corruption measures enforced by the Internal Security Agency and other agencies.
On Monday, Andrius Kubilius, Commissioner for Defence and Space, and former Prime Minister of Lithuania, intervened in the debate with an opinion article published by Gazeta Wyborcza. He noted that, by implementing the SAFE programme, Poland has many opportunities to become the leader in anti-missile production across Europe.
