A Russian attack on Polish territory using unmanned aerial systems that took place during the night of September 9-10 made those in power realise how disastrous any delay can be for security. Mateusz Morawiecki, a former prime minister in the United Right government, reminded Donald Tusk’s government of an uncomfortable fact – “No one will give Poland back the more than a year and a half that was lost.” He nevertheless said he would help the government review the budget so that “tens of billions of PLN” could be found for investments.
The former prime minister watches the actions of the current government with concern. He reminded listeners that when his government left office 1.5 years ago, it had left its successors with a number of guidelines and studies on security. The government, however, apparently showed no interest in them and focused instead on “political reckonings” of its predecessors.
Today, when voices are increasingly heard saying that we are not prepared for an attack using a swarm of drones – as the head of the Foreign Ministry, Radosław Sikorski, admitted in a radio interview today – Morawiecki’s words sound like an accusation of a particularly heavy calibre.
Poland needs a modern army and domestic ammunition production. That is why, while we were still in government, the National Ammunition Strategy was created, a large programme intended to involve Polish private companies – I emphasise, private – in large-scale production. And to do that together with state capital, he reminded.
Morawiecki argued that this is a solution that has worked in many countries. As an example he cited a Czech private arms firm that became one of the leading producers in Europe, “even taking over companies in the United States.” The former prime minister said Poland could have followed the same path, but unfortunately, “after the change of power the current government stopped all those activities for more than a year and a half.”
Instead of developing the national ammunition strategy, they engaged in so-called reckonings, i.e. political grandstanding. They wasted time. Today they are slowly returning to our projects. To the same solutions we proposed. But no one will give Poland back the more than a year and a half that was lost, he concluded.
Will Mateusz Morawiecki help the government with the budget?
Mateusz Morawiecki also declared his support for the current rulers.
“I declare my support and unity. I also declare our readiness to cooperate and to point out those places in the budget that can be fixed so that tens of billions of zlotys appear for investments that unfortunately sometimes crawl along,” announced the former President of the Council of Ministers.
He added that there is no time today for investments that take seven years, and that the whole private sector must be involved in defence, as it has been in Ukraine. Only quick responses and new arrangements that are properly prepared to detect and counter drone attacks like the one that took place will help to seal Polish airspace, Morawiecki summarised.