Karol Nawrocki consulted with military generals on Poland’s modernization plans using the EU’s SAFE defense loan.
SAFE Loan Consultations
Consultations regarding the modernization of the Polish Armed Forces in the context of the EU SAFE loan took place on Monday (March 9) at the Presidential Palace. Karol Nawrocki was accompanied by the Head of the National Security Bureau, Sławomir Cenckiewicz.
Program Details
Under the SAFE (Security Action for Europe) program, 19 EU member states will receive a total of €150 billion to support defense investments. Poland will be the largest beneficiary, receiving nearly €44 billion. The support will be provided in the form of 3% loans, which Poland must repay by 2070. 89% of the funds are to be directed to Polish companies operating in the defense sector.
Legislative Process
The bill implementing the EU SAFE program has already been passed by the Sejm. It reached the president’s office on February 27. Nawrocki has until March 20 to decide on the program. He can sign the bill, veto it, or refer the project to the Constitutional Tribunal.
Alternative Proposal
However, the President and the head of the National Bank of Poland, Adam Glapiński, presented an alternative called “Polish SAFE 0%.” This program would be financed with the help of the NBP. A meeting between the President and Prime Minister Donald Tusk is planned for Tuesday, during which – according to the President’s social advisor Leszek Skiba – “the prime minister will learn all the details” about the alternative to the EU loan.
Critical Perspective
Wyborcza.pl criticizes the program, stating: “Partisanship, seasoned with Jarosław Kaczyński’s anti-German phobia, has returned in its worst form, confusing people’s minds about the SAFE program.”
