Karol Nawrocki faces pressure from PiS to veto the SAFE program as public opinion and surveys show majority support for signing it into law.
The Decision Awaits
Pressure is growing in the right-wing camp for Karol Nawrocki to veto the SAFE program legislation. On Thursday, Nawrocki stated he still has several weeks to make a decision and wouldn’t reveal his position yet. Meanwhile, immediately after the vote, Sejm Marshal Włodzimierz Czarzasty announced he would forward the bill to the Presidential Palace on Friday.
PiS Concerns
Nawrocki now faces a difficult task. If he decides to veto the security program, he will go against public expectations. The main argument from Law and Justice (PiS) against the SAFE (European Security and Defence Fund) program is the belief that it threatens the country’s sovereignty and would be a tool for political dependence on EU institutions and German influence.
Similarities to KPO
Jarosław Kaczyński and other PiS leaders compare SAFE to the National Recovery Plan, claiming that fund payments could be blocked by the European Commission under the pretext of violating the rule of law, which would serve to force the Polish government’s compliance. MEP Michał Dworczyk argues that the fund’s structure gives Brussels the possibility of direct interference in decisions concerning national defense. PiS critics also point out that the program is based on taking huge loans on unclear terms, and the government has not presented a detailed list of purchases or specific loan servicing costs.
Credibility Question
The problem is that PiS is not credible on the SAFE issue, as Mariusz Błaszczak, former defense minister in the PiS government, praised this program as recently as September 2025.
Public Opinion Weighs In
Perhaps that’s why critical arguments from Jarosław Kaczyński’s party – even those relatively substantive rather than strictly political – are not resonating with the public. According to an IBRiS survey conducted for “Rzeczpospolita,” most respondents want the president to sign the bill into law. This could be decisive for Karol Nawrocki, as his surroundings closely follow public opinion polls and advise the president to make decisions based on them, rather than party calculations serving PiS.
Political Dilemma
If the head of state decides to sign the bill into law, he would at that moment unequivocally declare disloyalty to Jarosław Kaczyński and the party that nominated him as a presidential candidate. Is he ready for this step? And what will his support staff in the Presidential Palace – largely people closely associated with the PiS camp – advise him on this matter?