A new poll reveals that Polish public opinion is split regarding President Karol Nawrocki’s veto of the SAFE program loan, with 38% supportive.
Poll: Poles Weigh In on Nawrocki’s Veto of SAFE Loan
Radio ZET published the results of a nationwide poll conducted by IBRiS on March 17th, concerning President Karol Nawrocki’s veto.
The poll indicates that 25.9% of respondents “strongly agree” and 12.1% “rather agree” that the President’s opposition to the EU loan for military rearmament is in Poland’s interest, totaling 38% support.
Opposition to the Veto
Conversely, 18% of respondents believe the veto is “rather inconsistent” with the country’s interests, while 34.5% consider it “definitely inconsistent.” This brings the total opposition to the President’s decision to 52.5%.
9.5% of respondents answered “don’t know” or “hard to say.”
Methodology and Background
The Radio ZET poll was conducted by IBRiS using the CATI method (computer-assisted telephone interviews) on March 13-14, with a sample size of 1068 people.
Presidential Veto Explained
Last week, President Karol Nawrocki announced he would not sign the law implementing the EU’s SAFE armament mechanism, citing concerns about potential impacts on the country’s sovereignty, economic independence, and military security.
Financial Concerns Regarding SAFE
The President argued that the SAFE mechanism relies on a 45-year loan, with potential interest costs reaching 180 billion złoty. He believes this could result in Poland repaying an amount comparable to the loan value, primarily benefiting Western banks and financial institutions.
Government Response to the Veto
Following the veto, the government decided to adopt a resolution to enable the use of funds from the program despite the blocked legislation. Instead of creating a special fund within the Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego (BGK) as originally planned, the loan will be taken out by BGK for the benefit of the Armed Forces Support Fund.
