Deputy Defense Minister Cezary Tomczyk accused former minister Mariusz Błaszczak of hypocrisy on June 7, citing reports that the previous government secured foreign currency loans for arms purchases at high interest rates.
Findings on Foreign Currency Loans
According to findings by TVN24 reporter Piotr Świerczek, the previous Polish government, led by the United Right coalition, secured loans for weapons purchases primarily in euros and dollars. These funds were sourced from Spanish, Swedish, and Korean financial institutions.
Interest rates on loans secured by former Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak stood at 5.5 percent for South Korean acquisitions and 4.2 percent for armaments purchased in the United States.
Tomczyk Calls for Błaszczak’s Exit
Speaking on the television program “Fakty po faktach” on June 7, Deputy Minister Cezary Tomczyk stated that Błaszczak should withdraw from public life. Tomczyk claimed no one has compromised themselves more in this debate than the former minister.
The deputy minister criticized PiS members for their stance on the European SAFE program. He alleged that they publicly contradicted their previous actions and misled the public regarding the terms of the Korean and American loans, providing documentation as evidence.
The SAFE Program Context
On May 8, the Polish government signed a loan agreement with the European Commission under the SAFE program, the first such agreement among 19 participating nations. The program provides Poland with 43.7 billion euros in loans at a 3 percent interest rate, repayable until 2070.
Poland, the program’s largest beneficiary, requested funding for 139 projects aimed at rapid modernization of the Polish Armed Forces. These funds are intended primarily for Polish defense contractors, contrasting with the previous government’s focus on foreign-made Korean equipment.
Evidence of State-Guaranteed Debt
On air, Tomczyk presented documents indicating that in 2023, Minister Błaszczak authorized state-guaranteed loans from the Korean market totaling 2.5 billion dollars, along with 8 billion euros split across three separate tranches.
Addressing the conduct of the former minister, Tomczyk questioned how Błaszczak could justify his positions after such perceived hypocrisy, challenging his credibility following these revelations.
