WARSAW (Realist English). Polish President Karol Nawrocki has vetoed legislation that would have allowed the country to access nearly €44 billion in European Union defence loans, intensifying a political dispute with the government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk over how to finance Poland’s growing military spending.
The proposed law would have enabled Warsaw to draw funds from the EU’s Security Action for Europe (SAFE) programme — a €150 billion initiative designed to strengthen the European defence industry and boost military investment across the bloc.
Under the scheme, Poland was expected to receive approximately €43.7 billion in loans, making it the largest potential recipient.
Tusk’s pro-European coalition supported the bill, arguing that access to SAFE financing would provide favorable terms to accelerate Poland’s military modernization at a time of heightened security concerns following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Government officials said the funds could be used to strengthen Poland’s eastern border and expand domestic weapons production.
However, Nawrocki — who is politically aligned with the conservative opposition — argued that relying on EU borrowing could increase the country’s dependence on Brussels. He instead proposed financing defence projects using domestic resources, including profits from Poland’s central bank reserves.
The veto drew sharp criticism from members of the government.
“The president has lost the chance to act like a patriot,” Tusk wrote on social media platform X, accusing Nawrocki of blocking an opportunity to secure major EU funding for national defence. The prime minister also announced a special cabinet meeting to discuss alternative ways to obtain the financing, saying his government was preparing a “plan B.”
Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski also criticized the veto, warning that rejecting the EU mechanism could undermine Poland’s efforts to strengthen its security.
Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz defended the government’s proposal, saying the SAFE loans would allow Poland to expand military spending without putting additional pressure on the national budget.