Polish President Karol Nawrocki vetoed the SAFE loan bill, prompting accusations of betraying the state and cowardice from key political figures.
Nawrocki’s Veto Decision
Polish President Karol Nawrocki announced on Thursday, March 12, that he would not sign the bill allowing Poland to take a loan through the European SAFE program. “I will never sign a bill that attacks our sovereignty, independence, economic security, and military security,” Nawrocki stated in his address.
Sikorski’s Criticism
Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski responded to Nawrocki’s speech, calling it “a blatant lie.” “President Karol Nawrocki suggested in his address that the European SAFE would hand control of the Polish Army to Brussels. This is a blatant lie. He chickened out before Kaczyński. The president of a free Poland should not be a liar and a coward,” Sikorski wrote on X.
Kosiniak-Kamysz’s Security Concerns
Minister of National Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz criticized Nawrocki’s decision, stating he “had a unique opportunity to significantly support the modernization of the army” as “funds from the SAFE program guarantee earlier completion of very important stages of our army’s transformation and faster building of the strongest army in Europe.” Kosiniak-Kamysz emphasized: “This veto is not against the government, it’s against Poland’s security! We will implement plan B because that’s what Poland’s national interest requires.”
Czarzasty’s Accusations of Betrayal
Sejm Marshal Włodzimierz Czarzasty accused Nawrocki of committing “treason against the state” and destroying the dreams of the Polish army. “Our country’s president has, in my opinion, committed treason against the state and deprived the Polish army and Poles of security for the amount of 185 billion zlotys,” Czarzasty stated on TVN24. He added: “It’s easy to say: ‘a debt can be taken in one day.’ And I add to you – you destroyed the dreams of the Polish army and Polish factories in one day, that is easy to do.”
