For several days, President Karol Nawrocki’s decision to veto the law concerning the SAFE program has been one of the main topics discussed in the media, including abroad. German outlets continue to attack the Polish head of state, describing Nawrocki as a “nationalist.”
On Thursday, President Karol Nawrocki announced his decision to veto the law concerning the EU SAFE loan. The president’s veto triggered reactions from the entire ruling camp. Prime Minister Donald Tusk convened an extraordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers, during which the government effectively adopted a resolution regarding SAFE. The officials responsible for signing the agreements are Finance Minister Andrzej Domański and Minister of National Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz.
Both the president’s camp and the opposition warn that implementing the SAFE program through a resolution of the Council of Ministers is not in accordance with the law. There are many indications that Donald Tusk’s cabinet does not intend to stop.
“Nawrocki Harms the Government”
Since President Nawrocki announced his decision on SAFE, a storm of reactions has erupted in the media — including abroad. Recently, we reported on how French media commented on the issue.
Now we have taken a look at the German press. In the newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, a commentary on the Polish president’s decision was titled “Poland’s Weakness.” The author, Reinhard Veser, writes:
“Poland does not carry the weight in Europe that it should have given its size, economic and military strength, and its location on the eastern flank of the EU and NATO.”
In his view, the Polish president’s veto of the law concerning the EU SAFE loan “once again showed why this is the case.” He goes on to claim that the Polish right “constantly weakens the country’s position in the EU and NATO, driven by a mixture of national narrow-mindedness and a lack of scruples in domestic politics.”
He also accuses the Law and Justice party (PiS), which governed Poland between 2015 and 2023, of insulting its “partners.” There was also a jab at President Nawrocki himself. The German journalist claims that Karol Nawrocki “continues this policy by blocking Donald Tusk’s pro-European government wherever possible.”
“To harm the government, Nawrocki is striking at a program that, according to Polish military officials, is urgently needed for Poland to obtain the capability to defend itself against Russia,” Veser concludes.
A similar tone can be found in commentary from the website of the public broadcaster ARD:
“The dispute over SAFE is symptomatic of the front line that has run through Warsaw since Nawrocki was elected president in 2025. An important EU and NATO country is not speaking with one voice on strategic matters.”
“Pro-European Government” vs. “Nationalist President”
The article published by Die Welt begins in an even more striking tone. Karol Nawrocki is described there as a “nationalist president.”
“Despite the veto by the nationalist President Karol Nawrocki, the Polish government wants to ensure that the armed forces will be modernized through the EU’s multi-billion-euro program,” the article reads.
The newspaper also repeats the narrative of the Polish government, which intends to push through the EU loan by means of a government resolution.
“The government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced on Friday that it will ensure that SAFE funds reach Poland, albeit through more complex regulations. ‘The president’s veto will not stop us,’ Tusk said,” the paper quotes.