President’s spokesman Rafał Leśkiewicz confirms Tuesday meeting on Polish SAFE program, criticizing government stance.
Political Dispute Over Defense Program
Political disputes continue around Poland’s defense program. Following President and NBP President’s Wednesday proposal for the “polski SAFE 0 proc.” program, which they explained as a beneficial alternative to the EU program, Prime Minister Tusk stated that “polski SAFE 0 percent” cannot be an alternative to what has already been “arranged.” On Saturday, in RMF, state undersecretary and President’s spokesman Rafał Leśkiewicz responded to these words, saying that the Prime Minister “has not arranged anything.” “The Prime Minister is talking about arrangements,” added Leśkiewicz.
Tuesday Meeting Confirmed
A meeting regarding “polski SAFE 0 proc.” will be held at President Nawrocki’s office on Tuesday. Leśkiewicz announced on Saturday in RMF that Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Minister of National Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz have confirmed their attendance. NBP President Adam Glapiński will also be present.
Program Details and Criticism
The topic of the meeting will be the presidential proposal presented by the President and NBP President at a joint press conference on Wednesday. “This is a solution that the government should consider very deeply, because if we are talking about EU SAFE, we are talking about a loan at about 3 percent interest… On the other hand, we have a solution that will allow using the reserves of the National Bank of Poland without depleting them to finance the Polish army and it will not cost Poland anything,” stated Leśkiewicz. He also assessed that the government wants to reach for the EU loan “to cover the budget deficit.” “Hence the pressure on the President, who does not succumb to it,” he said.
President’s Stance on SAFE Programs
Asked if Karol Nawrocki would allow “two SAFEs,” Leśkiewicz answered that the President “is considering various options.” When pressed if the head of state would veto the European SAFE, he replied that there is no decision from the President on this matter. “We have time until March 20,” he reminded.
Development of “SAFE 0 proc.”
Work on “SAFE 0 percent” lasted several months, according to the presidential spokesman. “SAFE 0 percent” is a “very concrete proposal,” he said. “We will not deplete gold reserves. We will not deplete currency reserves… However, on the investment process that relies on these reserves, we can finance the Polish army,” he said.
Joint Initiative and Background
Leśkiewicz stated that work on the proposal presented on Wednesday lasted several months. “We prepared very thoroughly,” he stated. He added that during work on the government’s SAFE program, the Presidential Office submitted solutions that were not included in the final version of the law. “Therefore, we were also conducting parallel work and analyses related to the ‘SAFE 0 percent’ project,” he said. He added that the final concept, “which allowed us to present it to the public, was created recently.”
EU SAFE Program Details
The EU SAFE program provides that the Polish government will be able to use about €43.7 billion. According to the government’s declaration, 89% of the funds are to go to Polish defense companies. The money is to be used to meet military needs, support the Police and Border Guard, and protect cyberspace. The President has until March 20 to make a decision on the law implementing the program.