The government maintains that it can access the EU funds even if Nawrocki vetoes them.
Nawrocki emphasized that SAFE funds have conditions. He proposed “a specific and secure alternative to SAFE without interest… no loans, no changes to Poland’s EU status, and providing the flexibility our military needs for equipment choices.”
Glapiński suggested the central bank might use its annual profit for this. Central bank profits typically go to state funds, though this hasn’t occurred recently. The NBP has amassed 550 tons of gold and plans to increase it to 700 tons.
However, Polish law restricts the central bank’s ability to fund budget spending.
“We cannot apply any part of the reserves in a way that transfers a portion, as that would be illegal,” Glapiński stated.
Nawrocki mentioned he would provide more details, including new legislation for the parliament to consider, to Tusk and Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz by Wednesday.
Kosiniak-Kamysz countered, stating on X: “The SAFE program provides the quickest and most definite funding for modernizing the Polish army, prompting the military, defense industry, and all advocating for stronger armed forces to urge the president to approve the [SAFE] law.”
“Any additional finance instruments for the army would be beneficial, not as a substitute for SAFE, but as supplementary resources for enhancing security,” Kosiniak-Kamysz added.
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