Poland's president expresses doubts about the EU's €43.7 billion SAFE program for armaments, while the prime minister supports it. This comes amid political disagreements between them.
Poland wants to secure a huge loan of €43.7 billion under the EU's SAFE arms loan program, but this is met with doubts from the country's nationalist-minded president, Karol Nawrocki. This is reported by Politico, writes UNN.
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Nawrocki called for caution regarding the planned Polish loan – the largest among all countries borrowing under the €150 billion Security Action for Europe (SAFE) program, calling it "a grandiose debt that the Polish state will be paying off for many years."
This sharply contrasts with the position of pro-European Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who stated that the loans are provided on "very favorable terms, unavailable on the market in any other way."
The SAFE program provides long-term loans with a low interest rate and a 10-year grace period for principal repayment. Funds are raised by Brussels on capital markets and provide significant savings compared to national borrowing.
Such conditions are important for Poland, which plans to spend 4.8% of its GDP on defense this year – one of the highest figures in NATO. The country's finances are under pressure due to long-term efforts to strengthen the army to deter Russia and support Ukraine.
However, Nawrocki is skeptical, and his advisers warn that SAFE is more aimed at supporting Germany than Poland — appealing to Nawrocki's electorate, which is suspicious of Berlin.
"Poles deserve transparency regarding the costs, conditions, and any political obligations associated with SAFE," Nawrocki said during a meeting of Poland's National Security Council on Wednesday, which he chairs.
Although SAFE formally functions as a lending mechanism, the indirect risk cannot be ignored – in particular, that payments may be linked to broader political conditions. The final decision on payments and the conditions attached to them will be made by the European Commission
– added the president.
Nawrocki also called on the government to publish a list of all 139 projects planned to be financed through SAFE, and questioned whether the program would ultimately benefit Western European defense companies more than Polish ones.
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After the meeting, Tusk warned Nawrocki not to veto the SAFE plan.
I hope that the doubts and dissatisfied grimaces that appeared during the discussion will not be a harbinger of a veto
– Tusk said before flying to the EU leaders' summit in Belgium.
The government on Wednesday approved a draft law to implement SAFE in Poland.
Tusk and Nawrocki have been at odds for several months amid preparations for key parliamentary elections next year. The president has vetoed several important bills, and Tusk's parliamentary coalition does not have the votes to override them.
Tusk emphasized that 80% of SAFE funds will remain in Poland, criticizing the former nationalist Law and Justice government for large defense contracts that, in his opinion, did not bring significant benefits to Polish defense enterprises.
I don't quite understand what the doubts or uncertainties of the president and his entourage are regarding the added value that SAFE provides
– said Tusk.
Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said that the funds could arrive as early as March if the Polish parliament and Nawrocki make the necessary decisions in time.
"Now is the time for effective work in parliament and the president's signature. We do not pay attention to political whims," he added on social media.
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