Decisions regarding Poland’s defense should be made in Warsaw, not in Brussels—this was the key message of a press conference held by politicians from the Law and Justice party (PiS), who strongly opposed the European Parliament’s resolution on the EU’s common defense policy. According to PiS representatives, the document is an attempt to federalize the EU and strip Poland of its sovereignty over its own military.
The European Parliament’s resolution was supported by MEPs from the Civic Coalition, led by Donald Tusk. PiS politicians called this an unprecedented act of subordinating Poland to foreign interests.
Is Poland’s National Interest at Risk?
Speaking at the press conference, MEP Jacek Ozdoba made it clear what the priority should be in this matter. In his view, transferring defense competencies beyond Poland’s borders is dangerous and, in the long run, poses a threat to national security.
“History has shown, in no uncertain terms, how crucial it is to maintain full control over one’s own military and alliances. Can you imagine a situation where all European funds are directed to German industry, while our alliance with the United States is weakened just because someone in Berlin wants to balance the books?”— he asked rhetorically.
Ozdoba stressed that the new EU defense policy could lead to a situation where strategic decisions on arms procurement and military cooperation would be imposed on Poland by EU officials.
Kaleta: “This Is an Attempt to Strip Poland of Its Right to Its Own Army”
Sebastian Kaleta addressed the media narrative surrounding the resolution, accusing Donald Tusk’s government of deliberately misleading the public. He pointed out that Tusk and representatives of what he called the “December 13th coalition” were trying to frame the resolution as being about “Eastern Shield,” when in reality, it was something entirely different.
“We are talking about an attempt to change the EU treaties, something we have been warning about for months. The resolution calls for all defense-related decisions of EU member states to be made at the European level—not unanimously, but by a qualified majority vote. This means Poland could be forced to buy weapons that serve German or French interests rather than its own needs. According to this resolution, Poland wouldn’t even be able to decide on purchasing HIMARS or F-35s because the European Commission could block it!” — Kaleta warned.
Kanthak: “Tusk’s Hypocrisy at Its Peak”
Jan Kanthak harshly criticized the current government’s actions, recalling previous decisions made by Civic Platform in the European Parliament. He also referenced the early days of the war in Ukraine, highlighting Germany’s reluctance to provide assistance to the invaded country. In his view, transferring defense competencies to the EU could lead to similar inaction in the event of an attack on Poland.
“Donald Tusk’s hypocrisy and deceit are reaching their peak. His political camp has voted for every resolution against Poland, demanding financial penalties for our country. And now, these same people want to hand over control of the Polish army to Brussels! Have we learned nothing from history? Let’s not forget how Germany ‘helped’ Ukraine—by sending helmets instead of real military support. Now, Tusk and [Warsaw Mayor Rafał] Trzaskowski want Poland to be dependent on decisions made in Berlin and Paris. We cannot allow this.” — Kanthak declared.
He emphasized that PiS MEPs were the only ones standing in defense of Poland’s security.
Ziobro: “This Is a Betrayal of Poland’s Interests”
The strongest words came from Zbigniew Ziobro, who described Tusk’s government’s actions as a “betrayal of Polish interests.”
“What Tusk and his political allies are doing is an undeniable fact. They want to surrender control over Poland’s defense industry and military to Brussels—and, in reality, to Berlin and Paris. History has repeatedly shown that when Poland lost control over its own army, it ended in disaster for us. We saw how Germany acted at the beginning of the war in Ukraine—they didn’t want sanctions, they didn’t want to block Russian banks, they just sent a few helmets. Can we really allow them to decide our defense strategy?” — Ziobro asked.
The former Minister of Justice stressed that Poland must not lose control over its defense industry and military policy, as this would mean subjugating the country to the interests of the EU’s largest states.
According to Law and Justice politicians, the European Parliament’s resolution is an attempt to centralize power within the EU at the expense of national sovereignty. They warn that if the document’s provisions are implemented, Poland will lose the ability to make independent decisions about its military, with key choices being made in Brussels, Berlin, and Paris.