Poland’s right-wing conservative President Karol Nawrocki is blocking the country’s participation in the EU’s multibillion-euro Security Action for Europe (SAFE) armaments programme, despite attempts by the government to persuade him otherwise.
Nawrocki instead submitted his own draft on defence financing to parliament in Warsaw.
Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz told the PAP news agency on Wednesday that Nawrocki’s proposal was even worse than he had expected.
Due to the increasing threat from Russia, the European Union is providing €150 billion (about $175 billion) in low-cost loans for armaments through the SAFE programme.
Poland is set to be the largest beneficiary, receiving €44 billion. The government and parliament in Warsaw have already given their approval for the programme.
However, Nawrocki still needs to sign the agreement by March 20. The president, the right-wing populist former governing Law and Justice (PiS) party and the entire Polish right wing reject the programme.
A spokesman for the European Commission in Brussels said they did not want to interfere in the Polish discussion, but stressed that the programme must be implemented for the sake of the security of Poland, Ukraine and the EU as a whole.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk and his defence minister attempted to change Nawrocki’s mind on Tuesday. According to PAP, Tusk said that Poland urgently needed the EU money to expand its army.
Instead, the president referred to his own proposal to invest profits from the national bank in armaments.
The Polish right wing fears that the EU programme could primarily benefit the German and French arms industries.
Tusk has promised that 70-80% of the money will be spent in Poland.