While Donald Tusk and his ministers eagerly talk about defense spending, Poland is losing military potential and weakening strategic alliances. Instead of strengthening ties with the United States—the guarantor of regional security—the prime minister is pursuing opaque deals with France and Germany. The economy under Tusk’s leadership is also nothing to boast about—Central Statistical Office (GUS) data shows stagnation, and Poles feel increasingly deceived month by month.
These conclusions come from the program “Agora Klarenbacha,” where opposition politicians unanimously warned: under Prime Minister Tusk’s rule, Poland is becoming weak, dependent, and lost.
The Army Was Strong Under PiS—PO Disarmed It
Former Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Anna Gębicka (PiS), reminded that real strengthening of the Polish army only happened after 2015. Before that, the PO-PSL government led to the liquidation of hundreds of military units and a serious weakening of structures.
“We found the army in a catastrophic state. You liquidated over six hundred military units. We armed the army. PO returned—and now there are problems again,” she recalled.
Gębicka accused Tusk’s team of manipulation. The government boasts about military equipment purchases that were actually contracted under the PiS government. Moreover—some of them are already being blocked. All of this, in the current global situation, creates a serious threat to Poland.
“It was Minister Błaszczak from PiS who signed the contract for 100 Borsuk armored vehicles. They didn’t spend last year’s defense funds, but they announce it as a success. This is twisting the facts,” she emphasized.
The US Pushed Out of the Region
Even more alarming are reports about the new direction of Poland’s security policy. Civic Coalition MP Artur Łącki openly stated that Poland should count on France’s “nuclear umbrella”—implying a shift away from cooperation with the US.
“After Prime Minister Macron’s talks with Prime Minister Tusk, Poland will receive a nuclear protective umbrella,” said Łącki.
Such a declaration is not only naive—it’s downright dangerous. Abandoning a strategic alliance with the United States in exchange for informal protection from Paris is playing with fire. Especially since Poland is a frontline NATO state and the most exposed to threats from Russia.
As noted by editor Adrian Klarenbach, this isn’t just about political gestures but concrete military contracts. Will Poland abandon US purchases in favor of the French arms industry?
“We will certainly buy submarines, but it’s not just the French in the game—there are also the Germans and Swedes,” Łącki confirmed.
Chaos Instead of Strategy
Grzegorz Nowowiejski from Konfederacja sharply criticized the current model of “defense investments.” According to him, these are just random purchases without vision, serving only propaganda purposes.
“We have no defined strategy. It’s like buying 100 Borsuks here and something else there. The point isn’t to spend a lot, but to spend wisely,” he stated.
Nowowiejski reminded that it was the PiS government—criticized for “off-the-shelf” purchases—that had a real motivation: to quickly fill the gaps in the army after years of disarmament by PO. Today, those gaps no longer exist—yet Tusk’s government still can’t propose any coherent direction for the armed forces’ development.
GUS Data Relentless, People—Getting Poorer
Beyond defense, the program also addressed growing public dissatisfaction with the economic situation. The government boasts about growth, but the Central Statistical Office (GUS) publishes data that contradicts this. Recent figures show a drop in retail sales by 0.6% (vs. 6.1% in the previous month).
“The prime minister should change the head of GUS again because, for them, it doesn’t matter if Poles are worse off—they’ll just change how statistics are calculated. They don’t understand that they can change everything at GUS, but Poles still feel their lives getting harder,” said Gębicka.
GUS records declining consumption, low investment growth, and weakening public morale. These are not numbers to celebrate but a warning that Tusk’s government is failing to handle economic challenges.
Instead of a Strong State—a Facade State
The guests of “Agora Klarenbacha” drew one conclusion: Donald Tusk and his circle are creating the illusion of a strong state that, in reality, is losing sovereignty and self-defense capability.
Propaganda about “nuclear umbrellas” from Paris won’t replace real relations with the United States. And tales of defense spending won’t hide the fact that under Tusk’s rule, Poland is once again heading toward disarmament—just as it did between 2007 and 2015.