Tusk and Nawrocki in Gdynia: “It doesn’t always happen like this, does it, Mr. President?”

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and President Karol Nawrocki met at the PGZ Naval Shipyard in Gdynia on Wednesday, August 12, emphasizing the growing significance of the Baltic Sea and cross-party defense continuity.

Ceremony at the PGZ Naval Shipyard

The ceremony took place on Wednesday, August 12, at the PGZ Naval Shipyard in Gdynia. Both the president and the prime minister used their speeches to draw attention to the growing importance of the Baltic Sea in the context of the Russian threat. Karol Nawrocki warned against falling into the deceptive impression that the Baltic has become a safe, internal body of water for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

The Baltic as an Increasingly Vital and Dangerous Sea

– I want to assure you all that although cartography and map analysis suggest otherwise, this is not entirely the case in reality – said the president, pointing to ongoing threats from the Russian fleet, the militarized Kaliningrad Oblast, and the so-called shadow fleet. He added that Polish sailors participate in a hybrid war in this body of water every day.

Poland as a Maritime Power

New ships are intended to be a clear sign of strength at sea. – The Baltic is a Polish sea, and Poland is becoming a maritime power on the Baltic, a country that will decide the future not only of itself, but of the entire region – declared Donald Tusk.

Cross-Party Continuity in Defense Programs

Both leaders placed strong emphasis on the importance of cross-party continuity in armaments programs. The prime minister recalled that the initial concepts for building new ships originated back in 2013-14, during his previous term in office, and were subsequently continued by his successors.

Unity Beyond Political Divisions

– Steel, guns, engines, modern technologies, and the best radars weigh a thousand times more and mean a thousand times more than slogans and political catchphrases – said Donald Tusk. – It took the effort of my successors, the efforts of this government, and it will take the efforts of future governments, regardless of political provenance, so that Wicher, Burza, and Huragan can stand their watch. Let no enemy even dare to think about attacking Poland – added the head of government.

And he joked towards Nawrocki: – It doesn’t always happen – right, Mr. President? – that you and I simultaneously pay homage to Gdynia. Mr. President knows what I am talking about. We, two Gdańsk natives holding quite important offices in our homeland, with full conviction say not only those holy words “long live Poland” but also “long live Gdynia”.

Commitment to the Miecznik Program

The president also assured sailors that “regardless of what the upcoming parliamentary elections bring,” he will personally ensure the successful conclusion of the Miecznik program.

Under the Miecznik program signed in 2021, the Burza and Huragan frigates are also to be built, serving as the foundation of the Polish Navy’s combat strength. The units are being constructed within a consortium managed by the Polish Armaments Group (Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa), in cooperation with the British defense company Babcock, which supplied the design.