Overview
- Parliament had approved the EU SAFE facility in late February, but the veto now blocks Poland’s immediate access to the €44 billion credit.
- The Defence Ministry planned to use the funds for air and missile defence, anti-drone systems, helicopters and boats.
- Nawrocki and PiS allies argue the EU mechanism risks outside leverage and could favor German arms firms, a claim the government rejects.
- The president and the central bank chief proposed a “Safe 0 Prozent” plan tapping FX and gold reserves, which experts say faces legal and financial hurdles and which the government will not back.
- The EU SAFE programme totals about €150 billion, and Poland—already spending roughly 4.8% of GDP on defence—now faces uncertainty over financing planned modernization.