“It’s purely a PR move. The 8-hour training sessions for those who do not wish to join the Polish Armed Forces were introduced during the Law and Justice (PiS) government,” said former Minister of National Defence Mariusz Błaszczak. The politician was responding to the new initiative announced today by Minister of National Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz under the In Readiness (W Gotowości) program.
Kosiniak-Kamysz announces a program of nationwide defense training
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz announced on Thursday that the pilot phase of the In Readiness (wGotowości) program for nationwide defense training will begin on November 22. It is open to all interested Polish citizens. The Minister explained that the program aims to build social resilience, provide essential information, and teach necessary skills to anyone willing to take part. Kosiniak-Kamysz noted that the pilot phase will consist of several modules and will be open to “all Polish citizens who wish to participate,” including children, primary and secondary school students, employees and companies through individual and group training, as well as seniors.
Former defence minister: It’s purely a PR move
The concept of the In Readiness program was commented on X by Mariusz Błaszczak, Law and Justice (PiS) MP and former Minister of National Defence. The politician stressed that in his view, “it is purely a PR move.” He reminded that 8-hour training sessions for those who do not wish to join the Polish Armed Forces had already been introduced during the Law and Justice government. “Expanding their scope with additional topics is a natural evolution of the program, but by no means a breakthrough. In next year’s budget, the ministry has reduced funding for the training of active reserve soldiers. While 30,000 soldiers were scheduled to be trained in 2025, the new budget will allow training for only… 3,000 soldiers,” pointed out the former minister.
He also added that “Poland should be building a pool of trained reservists – this is crucial if we want to maintain an adequate personnel potential within the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland.”
Błaszczak emphasized that “one of the major successes of the Law and Justice government was the introduction of the Voluntary Basic Military Service, which consists of two stages. The first, a 28-day stage, ends with an oath, after which participants are not required to continue military service. We should encourage Poles who want to gain training but not serve permanently in the Polish Armed Forces to take part in this program. Unfortunately, the potential of this type of service is not being used, as there are no available positions for those who complete it to become professional soldiers,” he recalled.
In Błaszczak’s opinion, “Tusk’s government is not creating an alternative to the Voluntary Basic Military Service, but a competitor that will destabilize the entire system.”
“In the name of political marketing and PR-oriented actions, they are in fact weakening our security system,” he concluded.