Polish President Karol Nawrocki vetoed the SAFE Act, citing concerns about sovereignty and long-term debt burdens for future generations.
Presidential Address on SAFE Mechanism
President Karol Nawrocki addressed the European SAFE mechanism, emphasizing that decisions about national security must consider the long-term interests of Poland, not just immediate political concerns.
The SAFE Act, he argued, represents a massive foreign credit taken out for 45 years in foreign currency, with interest costs potentially reaching 180 billion złoty.
Sovereignty and Constitutional Concerns
Nawrocki raised fundamental questions about the constitutionality of transferring sovereign control over military matters to international organizations, stating that the Polish Constitution allows only the transfer of competencies that do not constitute the essence of state sovereignty.
He warned that the SAFE mechanism could allow Brussels to arbitrarily suspend funding while Poland would still be obligated to repay the debt, creating a situation where “security with conditions is not security.”
Economic Impact and Generational Burden
The president highlighted that the SAFE credit would impose a heavy burden on future generations, noting that an 18-year-old entering adulthood would be repaying this debt throughout their entire working life.
He compared the potential financial crisis from this foreign debt to the “frank loans” crisis, where initially secure loans led to massive financial problems when rates rose.
Alternative Proposal: Polish SAFE 0%
Nawrocki presented an alternative solution: “Polish SAFE 0%,” based on the Polish Defense Investment Fund, which is already before the Sejm (Polish parliament).
This fund, utilizing Poland’s 185 billion złoty in reserves, would allow Poland to maintain full control over defense investments without indebting future generations.
The fund would operate under complete Polish state and parliamentary control with full transparency in spending, allowing Poland to independently decide on equipment purchases and defense industry development.
Call for Political Unity
The president appealed to all political forces to urgently work on the Polish Defense Investment Fund bill, warning that delaying debate on this beneficial proposal harms the Polish army and national security.
He emphasized that Poland must arm itself and build a strong army to be a pillar of European and NATO security, but must do so on its own terms.
