The head of the PiS parliamentary club and former Minister of National Defence, Mariusz Błaszczak, stated that the National Bank of Poland has grounds to provide 0% financing for SEJF. “This is not a politically conditioned loan like the SAFE one,” Błaszczak emphasized.
President Karol Nawrocki and the President of the National Bank of Poland, Adam Glapiński, announced on Wednesday a “Polish SEJF at 0%,” which is intended to serve as an alternative to the EU’s SAFE programme. The president also announced that later on Wednesday, he would send invitations to Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Minister of National Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz for a meeting. “If necessary, I will take a legislative initiative,” Nawrocki said.
“Money is needed”
MP Błaszczak was asked about the president’s proposal on Wednesday during a meeting with residents of Kartuzy. In his view, “the process of arming the Polish Armed Forces has been slowed down under Donald Tusk’s government.”
“Money is needed. And yes, the National Bank of Poland, excellently managed by Professor Glapiński, has the grounds to finance such actions. Those 700 tonnes of gold already constitute a strong foundation, enabling the use of these financial reserves, so that they can serve as a basis for the development of the Polish military. This is not a politically conditioned loan like the SAFE one,”
he stated.
Currently on the president’s desk is the law adopted by parliament implementing SAFE. However, the loan programme raises doubts among the opposition and the president. These concerns include, among other things, the issue of conditionality attached to the disbursement of funds by the European Commission, as well as criticism of the potential terms for the future repayment of the loans.